Consumption, Food and Taste

by Alan Warde

• ISBN13: 9780803979734
• ISBN10: 0803979738
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-05-06
• Publisher: Sage Publications

Summary

Exploring the expression of taste through the processes of consumption this book provides an incisive and accessible evaluation of the current theories of consumption, and trends in the representation and purchase of food.Alan Warde outlines various theories of change in the twentieth century, and considers the parallels between their diagnoses of consumer behaviour and actual trends in food practices. He argues that dilemmas of modern practical life and certain imperatives of the culture of consumption make sense of food selection. He suggests that contemporary consumption is best viewed as a process of continual selection among an unprecedented range of generally accessible items which are made available both commercially and informally.

Table of Contents

PART ONE: ISSUES OF TASTE

Consumption, Taste and Social Change

The New Manners of Food

Trends and their Sociological Interpretation

Measuring Change in Taste

PART TWO: INDICATORS OF TASTE: CHANGING FOOD HABITS

Novelty and Tradition

Health and Indulgence

Economy and Extravagance

Convenience and Care

PART THREE: INTERPRETATIONS OF TASTE

The Reconstruction of Taste

Theories of Consumption and the Case of Food