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SoSe 23: Reassembling the American Diet

Harald Wenzel

Comments

It’s complex. In this course we will investigate the way Americans eat. A rather narrow approach on the “sociology of the meal” and commensality would exclude the complexity of the social food system by ignoring primarily economic and ecological aspects. It would lack a sociological concept of “nature” that is providing us with food. But is this really true? In which way is “nature” here still involved? ----- It might be possible to reconstruct – or, in terms of Bruno Latour – to “reassemble” at least crucial steps in the buildup of the current complexity of the American food system/diet. Take corn and the success story of HFCS (high fructose corn sirup) or California-grown pistachios – and “nature” can no longer be disregarded as a structure of affordances and limitations. ----- The aim of this course is – on the one hand – to understand the current state of the American food system in its complexity, e.g. including it repercussions on public health. On the other hand, this is an effort to give up the distinction between “social” and “non-social” (i.e. natural) elements and see the role of nature in the way we organize our living together in a more adequate way (which issues in a theoretical or even meta-theoretical reflection). ----- To familiarize yourself with the topic the following two books are recommended. Try to read at least Michael Pollan’s story of the first meal (a burger at MacDonalds). ----- Michael Carolan, A Decent Meal: Building Empathy in a Divided America, Stanford: Stanford UP 2021. ----- Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. A Natural History of Four Meals, New York 2016 (2006): Penguin. close