Abstract

Is it true that Americans have forgotten how to cook? Could we solve the problems in our food system by returning to the kitchen and remembering how to cook from scratch? What some people tell us about what we should eat and cook collides with the realities of food insecurity and systemic inequities. Sociologist Dr. Sarah Bowen follows a single mother in Raleigh who wants to feed her family while facing a limited budget, irregular work schedule and other challenges to accessing healthy food.

Sarah Bowen, Ph.D., is professor of sociology at NC State. Her research focuses on food systems, social institutions, and inequality, with a particular focus on the structural roots of diet disparities and food insecurity. Dr. Bowen is the author of two books: Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of Production and Pressure Cooker: Why Home Cooking Won’t Solve Our Problems and What We Can Do About It. She uses mainly qualitative and community-based methods in her work and has conducted research in France, Mexico, Sweden and the United States. Learn more at Dr. Bowen's profile page.

TRANSCRIPT

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

1. More Time in the Kitchen May Not Be the Answer to Feeding Kids Well - Interview Dr. Bowen and her co-authors did about her book, Pressure Cooker.

2. Video: Teach Every Child About Food (21 min 32 sec)  - TED Talk by Jamie Oliver