Modern approaches towards the study of food culture in foreign scientific discourse

Abstract

The subject of this research is the modern scientific discourse on food culture, while the object is the foreign approaches towards the study of food culture. Research dedicated to food culture is a crucial part of modern scientific discourse. The goal of this article lies in determination of the key approaches towards the study of food culture. The majority of foreign researchers claim that the modern study of nutrition shifted towards examination of the communicative aspects of food consumption (identity, cultural symbolism, social activity, etc.). From year to year, food and its consumption are explored by mass media and non-specialists as a form of art, leisure, source of social status, as well as method to express social / global differences, which manifests in the growing number of “trendy” food practices, magazine and newspaper publications, video blogs, cooking shows, etc. The author’s special contribution consists in outlining the three main approaches towards the study of nutrition: natural scientific, anthropological, and sociological. The natural scientific approach is associated with the basic principle of vitality of nutrition for people, which at the present stage is turning into a cult of healthy eating. The anthropological approach is based on determination of the anthropic characteristics of nutrition and is ramified and multidisciplinary. A special place is assigned to culturological direction. The sociological approach is focused of revelation of the role of alimentary culture in strengthening of social ties, social differentiation and integration on the micro- and macro levels. However, due to broadening of the research field related to nutrition, such classification can be elaborated.