Food for thought: a study of food consumption in postmodern US culture

Abstract

The objective of this research is to examine the symbolic meanings of contemporary food consumption and provide an in‐depth understanding of related practices. Specifically, we view food as a prominent cultural category representative of postmodernism and approach our study using a postmodern perspective. The paper provides an insight into how US consumers relate to food and highlights the symbolic dimension of food in a culture that is often depicted as highly individualistic. Offering a theoretical framework rooted in an ethnographic account of food consumption we uncover its postmodern complexities that take into account social, cultural, and contextual dimensions. Food is discussed in the context of relationships, desire, and a globalized commodity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.