Food Sociology
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Food Sociology at the University of Giessen studies food cultures and food politics. We are interested in sustainable food systems with particular interest in the cultural practices of eating as well as the socio-political organisation of food.
On this website you find information about our research agenda, educational activities as well as our team. Welcome!
Currently we offer the following courses:
"Food Systems" (BK79) B.Sc. / in German / Winter Semester
- Core elements of the food system: nutrition, consumer behaviour, food environment, supply chains
- Consequences of the system for nutritional & health status on an ecological, social and economic level
- Overarching contexts and influencing factors: environment; digitalisation, technology & innovation, politics, economy, culture, demographics
- Integration of sustainable development goals in the food system
"Food Sociology" (BK80) B.Sc./ in German / Summer Semester
- Social and cultural aspects of nutrition
- Everyday routines, eating habits and diets with regard to health and sustainability
- Political and economic contexts of nutrition, including social movements
- Eating in different geographical, cultural and social environments
"Theorising food and eating" (MP198) M.Sc. / in German / Winter Semester
When researching food, social scientists examine social issues. This course looks at social science theories that deal with food in habits, customs and cultures. Food culture and diets are an expression of how consumers eat and value everything to do with food. This module discusses the ever-changing cultural, social and political functions of food. This does not mean looking at different food cultures around the world, but instead focuses on the social shaping power of food, for example in relation to
- individual attitudes and assumptions
- social rituals and beliefs
- group and individual identity
- the role of ethics and morality in food choices
- food that is grown, processed, sold and consumed in certain places
"Food Politics" (MK110) M.Sc. / in English / Summer Semester
This module introduces food as a political issue. Food might concern hunger, food poverty or insecurity, malnutrition, sustainability, power politics, social justice and cultural identity. Food politics is about the political nature of food that stems from the unequal organisation of food systems. This includes the distribution of resources as well as contestations over ways to address food challenges that give rise to competing paradigms. We will explore the politics of food from fork to farm as well as from local to global levels.
Bachelor or Master Thesis
In case you are interested in supervision at B.Sc., M.Sc. or Ph.D. level, please just get in touch by stating your research interest.
More information about the courses can be found on stud.IP after logging in.
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1. Food practices and food cultures:
The first focus on food practices and food cultures studies food in societal context. We are interested in concepts and approaches from cultural sociology to investigate how food relates to beliefs, norms cultural affiliation. We are also interested in the social differentiation via food, social inequalities and social justice with regard to more sustainable food consumption.
2. Socio-political organisation of food provisioning and consumption:
Our second key interest in the socio-political organisation of food lies in scrutinising institutional, organisational and political parameters of sustainable food systems. In the sense of food politics, we are interested in how various actors and stakeholders influence systems of provision and everyday eating. Food is a multidimensional phenomenon that needs consideration across scales, local, regional or global, but also with regard to different forms of organisation.
- People
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Professor of Food Sociology
+49 641 99-39310
Senckenbergstr. 3, 35390 Giessen
Room 416
Secretariat
+49 641 99-37033
jutta.bender@agrar.uni-giessen.de
Senckenbergstr. 3, 35390 Giessen
Room 416a
Researcher
+49 641 99-39311
Senckenbergstr. 3, 35390 Giessen
Room 419
Researcher
+49 641 99-39312
Senckenbergstr. 3, 35390 Giessen
Room 419
IPPAE - PhD researcher
Senckenbergstr. 3, 35390 Giessen
Room 304
Madita Zöller-Cannito, M.A. Researcher (on parental leave)
Manale Andargie Embiyale IPPAE - PhD Researcher
Senckenbergstr. 3, 35390 Giessen
Room 304
GCSC - PhD Researcher
Alexandra Stuhlmann, B.Sc.
Student assistant
+49 641 99-39314
alexandra.stuhlmann@nu.uni-giessen.de
Room 418
Torben Stein, B.Sc.
Student assistant
Former members of staff
