SOCIOL M136
Eating Society: Science and Politics of Food from Individual to Planetary Health
Description: (Same as Food Studies M136 and Society and Genetics M136.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Questions of food and health are both individual and social. Students gain tools for understanding relationships between individual eaters, medicine, and social organization of food production and processing through set of research frameworks newly emergent in range of social and health sciences. Topics include individual and social ramifications of microbiome science; understanding how human gut microbes and health are shaped by pasteurization, processing, and food safety practices; One Health approaches that encompass human and animal health, discussing examples such as antibiotic resistance and emerging infectious disease as effects of large-scale agriculture; planetary health frameworks that link individual human metabolic health to issues of sustainable agriculture, for example how pesticides and fertilizers tie diets to environments; and resilience of cultural food systems in face of environmental pollution as issue of reproductive health. Letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2025 - Professor Landecker is super nice and very understanding. Even though I didn’t do well on one of the exams and was worried about my grade, she made it clear that she wants students to succeed and not feel defeated. She offers up to 4% extra credit, which really helps. The class had three reading tests and a final exam, and writing assignments. For the final, we were allowed a typed one-sheet of notes (double-sided). I even brought a magnifying glass to fit more on the page! At first, I was nervous about the format, but it turned out to be manageable and fair. This course is cross-listed in three departments, and Professor Landecker clearly understands that for many students it’s taken as an elective. She doesn’t want to see students fail or do poorly, but at the same time, you end up learning a lot from the readings and discussions. Overall, she’s a kind and supportive professor who makes the material engaging, gives you the tools to do well, and genuinely cares about her students’ success.
Spring 2025 - Professor Landecker is super nice and very understanding. Even though I didn’t do well on one of the exams and was worried about my grade, she made it clear that she wants students to succeed and not feel defeated. She offers up to 4% extra credit, which really helps. The class had three reading tests and a final exam, and writing assignments. For the final, we were allowed a typed one-sheet of notes (double-sided). I even brought a magnifying glass to fit more on the page! At first, I was nervous about the format, but it turned out to be manageable and fair. This course is cross-listed in three departments, and Professor Landecker clearly understands that for many students it’s taken as an elective. She doesn’t want to see students fail or do poorly, but at the same time, you end up learning a lot from the readings and discussions. Overall, she’s a kind and supportive professor who makes the material engaging, gives you the tools to do well, and genuinely cares about her students’ success.
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