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This Cultural Analysis Tells Two Stories About Food. The First Depicts Good Food As Democratic. Foodies Frequent 'hole In The Wall' Ethnic Eateries, Appreciate The Pie Found In Working-class Truck-stops, And Reject The Snobbery Of Fancy French Restaurants With Formal Table-service. The Second Story Describes How Food Operates As A Source Of Status And Distinction For Economic And Cultural Elites, Indirectly Maintaining And Reproducing Social Inequality. While The First Storyline Insists That Anybody Can Be A Foodie, The Second Story Asks Foodies To Look In The Mirror And Think About Their Relative Social And Economic Privilege. By Simultaneously Considering Both Of These Stories, And Studying How They Operate In Tension, A Delicious Sociology Of Food Becomes Available, Perfect For Teaching A Broad Range Of Cultural Sociology Courses.--book Jacket. Entering The Delicious World Of Foodies -- Foodies, Omnivores, And Discourse -- Eating Authenticity -- The Culinary Other: Seeking Exoticism -- Foodie Politics: This Is One Delicious Revolution! -- Class And Its Absence -- Moral Ambiguities In The Gourmet Foodscape. Josée Johnston, Shyon Baumann. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.
This book investigates the inherent tension between the democratic ideals of food culture and the role of gourmet consumption in reinforcing social stratification. Authors Josée Johnston and Shyon Baumann utilize sociological frameworks to analyze how the modern 'foodie' identity functions as both a populist movement and a mechanism for elite distinction. By examining the contradictions within contemporary food discourse, the authors argue that the pursuit of culinary authenticity often masks underlying issues of economic and cultural privilege.
What You Will Find
Experts in cultural sociology identify this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of class and consumption habits. Readers frequently note the academic rigor of the prose, which provides a balanced critique of how food choices serve as both a democratic expression and a tool for social exclusion.
Page Count:
280
Publication Date:
2009-01-01
Publisher:
Routledge
ISBN-10:
0203868641
ISBN-13:
9780203868645
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