NS 2450 - Social Science Perspectives on Food and Nutrition

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: NS 1150. Limited enrollment. Must be enrolled by third class meeting.

C. Bisogni, J. Sobal.

Uses theories, concepts, and methods from the social sciences to examine food, eating, and nutrition. The food choice process model is used as a framework for examining the scope of social science aspects of nutrition. Assignments include examinations, short papers, and two research projects, one qualitative and one quantitative, for which students prepare proposals, collect and interpret data, and write papers to report data.

Outcome 1: Explain how concepts and theories from the social sciences apply to food and nutrition issues and help to explain the personal, social, cultural, economic, and historical variations in food, eating, and nutrition.

Outcome 2: Describe basic social facts about food, eating, and nutrition.

Outcome 3: Demonstrate basic principles and procedures for conducting qualitative and survey research to understand food choice, including protection of human participants in social and behavioral research.

Outcome 4: Demonstrate sensitivity to and appreciation of personal, social, cultural, economic, and historical variations in food, eating, and nutrition.