B7283 - SOCIOLOGIA DEL CIBO E DELLA SALUTE

Learning outcomes

The course is aimed to describe and analyse the several connections between food, social contexts and health. The student at the end of the course will be able to analyse the social determinants of illness, the medicalizing aspects of the contemporary society and the different aspects of pathology Disease, Illness, Sickness). Moreover, the student will be able to identify the correlations between socio-economic status and obesity, social representations of food and style of food consumption.

Course contents

The first part of the class will be focused on the following topics:

Health inequalities; 

Narrative-Based Medicine

Social participation

Medicalization: why we are all sick

Happiness in the age of anxiety

Prediction, prevention, personalization

Theories of medical sociology.

The  second part of the class will be focused on the following topics:

- Diet as a global religion

- Food fashion

- "Living as sick for dying healthy"

- Food and body

- Food fanatism

- sociological theories on obesity

The two parts are presented as separated, however in practical terms ibridizations will be frequent

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

BOOKS THAT MUST BE STUDIED:

A. Maturo (2024), Primo libro di sociologia della salute, Einaudi, Torino. (First part of the exam)

A. Plava (2025), Il peso dell'infanzia. Una ricerca sociologica su abitudini alimentari e obesità, Angeli, Mi. (Second part of the exam)

A. Plava (2025) can be downloaded for free at the following link:

 

SUGGESTED READING (NOT MANDATORY)

A. Maturo, A. Plava (a cura di) (2023) Stili alimentari e cibo biologico nelle scuole primarie. Un’analisi sociologica a Rimini, Angeli, Mi.

The book A. Maturo, A. Plava (a cura di) (2023) can be downloaded for free here

Teaching methods

Teaching will be carried out in the "traditional mode", however active participation of the students is strongly encouraged.

During class, videos will be watched and commented, some group works will be carried out and institutional data will be analysed by the students.

Students interested to write their dissertation in Sociology of food and health need to be able to read and fully understand English texts.

Assessment methods

Final examination.

The final exam is oral.

Assessment criteria:

- to have understood the course program

- to be able to develop sociological inferences in an original way

- to be able to apply empirically the main concepts of sociology of health

- spontaneous study of international scientific literature.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

 

AI can be a useful tool to support individual study by providing deeper insights, summaries and self‑assessment pathways. With regard to assessment of learning, the use of AI is prohibited during in‑person exams. Any use constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

 

Teaching tools

Powerpoint, group discussion, papers.

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Francesco Maturo