Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are -- Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

SOCY 109 DE

Sociology of Food
Summer I 2015

Dr. Idee Winfield

Contact: winfieldi@cofc.edu

COURSE INTRODUCTION
Most Americans know little about the food we eat. Last night, as you opened your favorite box of snacks and
read the label, were you puzzled by the number of unrecognizable ingredients? Maybe you wondered, What
is all of this stuff? Is it good for me? Why am I eating things I dont recognize? Those
are certainly important questions, but if we think more deeply, about the less obvious,
social aspects of food, even more questions arise. Why did I pick this particular snack?
What does choosing this snack tell others about who I am and what I like? How does
my choice of this snack affect all the people and organizations that played a role in
producing and distributing my snack? Why is it relatively easy for me to have access to
snacks, whereas others are going hungry? Why are there so many snack foods? Whose
interests are served by this? Indeed, there are many, many social aspects to food
production, distribution, and consumption, and this semester, we will examine these
phenomena from a sociological perspective. This means that we will be asking different
kinds of questions about food than you may at first be accustomed to. For example,
were going to attempt to answer the following:

Why do we eat what we do, the way we do?

What does the food we eat reveal about who we are as a people?
From where does our food come? Which people produce our food?
What kind of social system are we participating in when we eat cereal, a hamburger, a hot dog,
tofu, or a salad?
Why do some societies have an overabundance of food and others not enough?
Why is food often a class issue? An ethnic issue? A gender issue?
Why do Americans sometimes have problematic relationships with food, leading to health
problems, like obesity and eating disorders?

Indeed, food has many sociological layers it serves as an identity marker, its an important feature of a
societys culture, it can be a source of both pleasure and pain, its a social system, and it is even a tool of
power. The fact of the matter is that food connects us to a complex web of cultures and peoples around the
globe even though most of us are not consciously aware of this connection. The overarching goal of the
semester, then, is to increase our awareness and knowledge by exploring how the contemporary
production, distribution, and consumption of food reflects social and economic power relations
between peoples.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

This will be an exciting and interesting class...IF you are willing to do the work. There is a good deal of
material. Some of it is short but thought provoking, and requires from you effort to process the ideas and
learn what you can from them. Other readings are longer and provide important historical background.
After completing the course, the successful student will be able to:
Demonstrate a general knowledge and comprehension of food and culture from a sociological
perspective;
Apply some basic sociological tools to the analysis of food and culture;
Explain how food relates to social power;
Discuss the relationship between food practices and identities;
Describe the complexities of the modern industrial food complex;
Understand how the production, distribution, and consumption of food reflects deeper social
patterns and inequalities;
Apply sociological knowledge to real-life situations;
Look at your own life sociologically; and
Describe how food patterns vary according to race, class, and gender.
SOCIAL SCIENCE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:
SOCY 109 is one of the approved courses that will satisfy 3 of the 6 credits of social science that you are
required to complete for the General Education curriculum.
Learning Outcome for the Social Sciences in the General Education Curriculum:
Students can apply social science concepts, models or theories to explain human behavior, social
interactions or social institutions.
How and When this Learning Outcome will be Assessed:
In the second exam you will be asked to write an essay that challenges you to demonstrate your ability to
apply a sociological concept or theory in order to understand better some kind of human behavior, social
interaction, and/or social institution as it relates to a specific social issue that we have discussed this
semester.
COURSE STRUCTURE
This is an online course AND a 4 week Sumer! What this means is that we are going to complete an entire
semester in 4 weeks and do it all via an online interface. Soyou might be surprised to know that this is a
very discussion intensive course. We may not meet face-to-face in classroom at the same time, but we will
be carrying on discussions on an almost continuous basis in a virtual classroom space in which you will get
to know one another quite well. This is NOT a self-paced course.

The course has seven (7) content modules. Each module has a set of readings, videos and lectures to
view and contribute to, and discussion to participate in. The modules are fast-paced and there are
many deadlines to keep track of. The checklist in each OAKS Module is your friends. Think of it as the
yellow brick road that guides by step by step through each module.

I will provide discussion questions and you will use the software Voicethread to initiate discussion and
reply to others in the class. I will grade you Voicethread contributions based on your ability to link the
readings to the videos and lectures as well as the quality and quantity of your engagement in the
discussions. I include on OAKS a video example of a Voicethread discussion from last summer to show
you what I am looking for in terms of quantity and quality of your contribution to discussion of the film.
See the Orientation module for more details about how to use Voicethread.

Technology requirements. Well, it seems obvious but you need consistent, ongoing access to the
Internet so that you can access the OAKS resources, view the videos, and participate in Voicethread
discussions. If you do not have regular, reliable access to the Internet every day, you should
reconsider taking this course. You also need to have a webcam and microphone. Most of you have this
in your computer already. If you do not, you can purchase an inexpensive set at many stores for $15.
See the directions on Voicethread for more information about this.

Patience, Please:
This online sociology course is something new for many of you. Although I have had training and read
research about best practices for online education, we have to expect that there will be glitches along the
way. Most importantly, you must be willing to take responsibility for learning to use OAKS and the
Voicethread software. There are many resources available for you to use and you should turn to those first.
The ability to learn to learn is the hallmark of a college-educated person. Lets start this course be
recognizing that you will have to do that in order to complete the course. Online courses are best for selfstarters. I do not recommend taking this course if you are not willing to read the Voicethread and OAKS
documentation, view the tutorials, and work your way through the instructions. Be curious and explore!
I will be online twice a day, most likely in the mid-morning and then again in the early evening before 9pm.
Do not wait to the last minute to complete any assignment because if you run into trouble, there is no
guarantee that I will be there to provide a solution at the moment you want it.
On weekdays I will reply to e-mail within 24 hours. I do not check work e-mail on the weekend, so plan on
48 hours for a reply.
READINGS:
All of our readings are on OAKS or the Internet
EARNING YOU GRADE:
Your final grade will be based on your performance on three (3) components:

2 exams (35% each)

Online Discussion 30%

75% Exams
In this course you must read, think, discuss, and synthesize to do well. Your most important
task this semester is to read effectively and efficiently. Examinations test whether or not you
understand the important ideas in the readings and are able to synthesize the readings and class
discussions in written essays.
There are two exams. Each exam has two parts: an essay component, and a multiple-choice
component on OAKS. You may not stop and restart either part of the exam.
30% Engagement
It really is true that we learn best by doing this includes actively engaging with the course material by
bringing questions, offering examples, and participating in course discussion.
You will have regular Voicethread discussions that ask you to apply the ideas from the readings. You
will learn more about how we will use Voicethread in the orientation module on OAKS.
Why Use Voicethread? It humanizes" the online classroom experience. One of the drawbacks of
online learning has always been that the student feels isolated and reduced to an e-mail address.
Voicethread helps to reduce the isolation and move the online class in the direction of the "personal"
closeness that often occurs in a face to face class setting, where students interact with each other and
the Professor.
To participate effectively and constructively, you need to come to each discussion prepared to talk
about the readings. Dont be afraid to ask questions and offer personal reflection; just make sure it is
related to the topic at hand. Keep in mind that quality participation does not mean that all comments
must be brilliantly insightful; this class fosters critical thinking. Questions and incomplete thoughts
about these issues contribute to the process of learning. Also, we can and should argue about ideas
because that is the heart and soul of a College education, but we will always do so with respect for
each other. Theres a big difference between attacking an idea and attacking a person.
You only receive credit for these engagement activities when you complete them by the assigned
deadline. There is no makeup for discussions.

Grading:
My philosophy on grades is this: They are yours to earn, not mine to give. Therefore, decide now what
grade you want to receive, and earn it!
A=90-100% A-=89% B+=88% B=80-87% B-=79% C+=78% C=70-77% C=69% D=60-68 F= <60
In this class, an A is reserved for truly excellent work. If you earn an A, you went above and beyond the
call of duty not just with your effort but also with your performance. A B indicates very good work. You did
not just do the minimum requirements, but you made an extra effort to show your skills, and your effort
showed. A C means you did average work; you did what was asked and you did it satisfactorily nothing
less, nothing more. A D means you need to improveyou did below the minimum requirements. An F is
guaranteed if you turn nothing in or rarely come to class. You have to work at it to get an A or an F in
this course. Your grade is not determined by how much time you put or how hard you feel you worked. I
use grading rubrics that assess how well and how completely you accomplished what the assignment asks
you to do in other words, what you actually produce.
Please make an appointment to see me if you have questions about how to read, study, or take
notes more efficiently and effectively. I promise I dont bite
COURSE POLICIES:
Make-up and Late Assignment Policy
If for some reason you are violently ill and in the hospital or have a family tragedy, AND have an
excused absence verified through the office of the Dean of Students (67 Glebe) for the due day of
either part of the first exam, you will be eligible for a make-up exam during the final exam days at the
end of the semester. Unverified self-reported absences are not eligible for a make-up exam.
There are no make-ups for online discussion activities (part of your engagement grade). After the
deadline means you are not engaged with everyone else in the course.

Follow common rules of respect.

Since learning about diverse experiences is central to this course, it is of the utmost importance that
you respect your classmates experiences, differences, and opinions. We can argue about ideas and
theories day and night -- that is the hallmark of a liberal arts and science education that emphasizes
critical thinking. What we do not do is make personal judgments and attack the personal character of
someone. You can disagree with the idea without dissing the person.

Disability Accommodation
The College will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. If you
have a documented disability and have an approved accommodation through the Center for Disability
Services /SNAP. Students needing accommodation should apply at the Center for Disability Services
/SNAP, located on the first floor of the Lightsey Center, Suite 104.
Students approved for accommodations are responsible for notifying me by the third day of
class and emailing me your letter of accommodation.

Communicate with me.

Talk to me, but do it at the right time. If you are having any problems with the material or have
questions, talk to me sooner rather than later. After a deadline is too late.

Cheating is NOT a good thing.

It should go without saying, but lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our
Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated. Anyone caught violating the College of Charleston
Honor Code will receive an F on the assignment and have to go before the Honor Board. Folks, it's
just not worth it. Heres the official language:
Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or
others having knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students. A student found

responsible by the Honor Board for academic dishonesty will receive a XF in the course,
indicating failure of the course due to academic dishonesty. This grade will appear on the
students transcript for two years after which the student may petition for the X to be
expunged. The F is permanent. The student may also be placed on disciplinary probation,
suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent removal) from the College by the
Honor Board.
Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration--working together without permission-- is a
form of cheating. Unless the instructor specifies that students can work together on an assignment,
quiz and/or test, no collaboration during the completion of the assignment is permitted. Other forms of
cheating include possessing or using an unauthorized study aid (which could include accessing
information via a cell phone or computer), copying from others exams, fabricating data, and giving
unauthorized assistance. Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used
in whole or in part for any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the
instructor.
Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at
http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/studenthandbook/index.php

Above all, enjoy learning to see the world through the sociological lens

COURSE MODULES
Each OAKS Module starts with a checklist that tells you what to read, watch and do.
Follow the yellow brick road.
Welcome, Orientation and Getting Started with Online Learning
Thinking Sociologically About Food: Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows
Food as a Social Marker: Fitting in and Standing Out
FIRST EXAM
Our Modern Industrial Food System: The McDonaldization of Agriculture
The Irrationality of Rationalization I: Hunger and Scarcity
The Irrationality of Rationalization II: The High Cost of Cheap Food
Food and Social Change: The Value of Values
SECOND EXAM

* The Schedule is subject to change. I will announce any changes on the OAKS site and/or via email.