Author Description

Research into the nation's eating habits has grown rapidly in recent years, and this work presents an introduction to the main themes and results of this research. The work reviews the key literature and research on meals and meal taking in daily life, and gives an overview of the main theoretical debates in the field. A summary and discussion of research in both domestic and public dining habits is provided. The aesthetics of food and different styles and levels of food consumption - for instance, vegetarianism and "nouvelle cuisine" - are also examined. Written from a sociological perspective, this is nevertheless a jargon-free introduction, accessible to a wide non-specialist readership. This work is intended for undergraduate students and above, on courses in hotel and catering, home economics, food and welfare studies, sociology and social anthropology.