Social class differences in food consumption

An African American family eating a meal in a middle or upper middle class setting. African American communities often have other elements of distinctive food culture that is not just determined by class.

Social class differences in food consumption refers to how the quantity and quality of food varies according to a person's social status or position in the social hierarchy.[1] Various disciplines, including social, psychological, nutritional, and public health sciences, have examined this topic. Social class can be examined according to defining factors — education, income, or occupational status — or subjective components, like perceived rank in society. The food represents a demarcation line for the elites, a "social marker", throughout the history of the humanity.[2]

Eating behavior is a highly affiliative act,[3] thus the food one eats is closely tied with one's social class throughout history.[4] In contemporary Western society, social class differences in food consumption follow a general pattern. Upper class groups consume foods that signify exclusivity and access to rare goods;[4][5] while lower class groups, on the other hand, consume foods that are readily available.

  1. ^ Hupkens, Knibbe & Drop 2000.
  2. ^ Anderson 2020, p. 184.
  3. ^ Higgs, Suzanne (2015-03-01). "Social norms and their influence on eating behaviours" (PDF). Appetite. Social Influences on Eating. 86: 38–44. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2014.10.021. ISSN 0195-6663. PMID 25451578. S2CID 13510190.
  4. ^ a b Fox, R. (2014). Food and eating: An anthropological perspective. Social Issues Research Centre, 1–22.
  5. ^ Tierney, R. K., & Ohnuki-Tierney, E. (2012). Anthropology of Food. In J. M. Pilcher (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Food History. New York: Oxford University Press.