Consumption in the Age of Affluence : The World of Food

With growing affluence in the developed world, food has become an increasing focus for attention. Here, the authors argue that in order to understand the extensive and dramatic developments in the world of food, a new interdisciplinary approach is necessary. The Age of Affluence successfully addresses food consumption in this way. The volume: * argues the importance of socioeconomic and cultural factors over diet, in influencing the production, marketing and consumption of different groups of foods; * places food systems theory on sound analytical foundations; * draws critically upon food systems literature; * includes case studies from the sugar, dairy and meat systems; * employs novel statistical techniques to identify and explain distinct patterns of food consumption; The book will help to revitalize the discipline of food studies and points the way forward for the continuing study of food consumption. As such, it will be invaluable to students, researchers and policymakers engaged in the world of food. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of figures and tables......Page 8 List of abbreviations......Page 10 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW......Page 14 FOOD STUDIES: AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT......Page 24 FOOD SYSTEM THEORY......Page 42 DIFFERENTIATING FOOD SYSTEMS......Page 71 THE UK SUGAR SYSTEM......Page 88 SUGAR OR SWEET......Page 142 THE POVERTY OF FOOD ECONOMETRICS......Page 157 FOOD NORMS: METHODS AND DATA......Page 180 CHILDREN, LOW INCOME AND THE SAUSAGE SYNDROME......Page 195 THE MEAT SYSTEM......Page 212 FOOD AND CLASS......Page 229 THE DAIRY SYSTEM......Page 248 SUMMING UP AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS......Page 278 References......Page 289 Index......Page 303 Pt. I. From Food Studies To Food Systems. 1. Introduction And Overview. 2. Food Studies: An Initial Assessment -- Pt. Ii. Specifying Food Systems. 3. Food System Theory. 4. Differentiating Food Systems -- Pt. Iii. Theoretical And Empirical Applications. 5. The Uk Sugar System. 6. Sugar Or Sweet. 7. The Poverty Of Food Econometrics -- Pt. Iv. What We Eat And Why. 8. Food Norms: Methods And Data. 9. Children, Low Income And The Sausage Syndrome. 10. The Meat System. 11. Food And Class. 12. The Dairy System -- Pt. V. Whither Food Studies? 13. Summing Up And Future Directions. Ben Fine, Michael Heasman, And Judith Wright. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 278-291) And Index. This study argues that in order to understand the extensive and dramatic developments in the world of food, a new interdisciplinary approach is necessary. It stresses the importance of socioeconomic and cultural factors over diet, and includes case studies from the sugar, dairy and meat industries. Through sound empirical analysis and a range of case studies, the authors argue that an interdisciplinary approach to food consumption is now necessary, taking into account socioeconomic and cultural factors