Understanding Food Habits: a Sociological Perspective 7.5 credits

Image: Mattias Pettersson

About the course

There is more information on food and nutrition available now than ever before and yet food behaviour often deviates from scientific advice. Despite good intentions, interference with or attempts to control people's food habits can elicit strong reactions. Clashes may occur between cultures and there is a tendency towards conflict around food. To understand these conflicts and dilemmas, food and/or health professionals must recognise how eating habits are formed and the factors that influence them.

In this course, food choice and eating behaviour are explored using the perspectives of class, gender, ethnicity, age, socio-economic status, life course, religion, and geographic region. The complex interplay of agency and structure is applied to real life contexts through assignments dealing with availability, prevailing food and health discourses, and personal/professional development.

The course is aimed at both professionals and individuals who encounter food dilemmas.The course includes analytical tools to identify the roots of potential problems and understand different views on food and eating, thereby developing an ability to act as mediators or sounding boards in challenging situations. Possible target groups are preschool teachers, psychologists, catering staff, the medical professions, and other caregivers.

Part 1. Food as Symbol, Sustenance and Socialization, 5 Credits
This part of the course covers factors which influence food habits, such as gender, age, ethnicity, class, social status, life course transitions, religion, convenience and context. These factors are viewed in connection to symbolic meanings, power relations and food norms.

Part 2. Food culture and professional or personal development, 2.5 Credits
In this part of the course, the student analyses real life situations, current discourses and their own professional or personal views on food and eating with the help of the sociological tools offered in part 1.

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Autumn 2025
- Understanding Food Habits: a Sociological Perspective
  
  Autumn 2025 / Ortsoberoende / English / Web-based (online)
  
  Show more Show less
  
  Starts
  1 September 2025
  
  Ends
  18 January 2026
  
  Number of credits
  7.5 credits
  
  Type of studies
  Web-based (online)
  
  Mandatory meetings
  0
  
  Other meetings
  0
  
  Study pace
  25%
  
  Teaching hours
  Mixed
  
  Study location
  Ortsoberoende
  
  Language
  English
  
  Application code
  UMU-F2801
  
  Eligibility Courses at least 90 ECTS in one subject. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English A/6.
  
  Selection
  Academic credits
  
  Application
  Application deadline was 15 January 2025. The application period is closed.
  
  Application and tuition fees
  As a citizen of a country outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees for studies at Umeå University.
  
  Application fee: SEK 900
  
  Tuition fee, first instalment: SEK 20,800
  
  Total fee: SEK 20,800
  
  Details about tuition, fees and funding
- Understanding Food Habits: a Sociological Perspective
  
  Autumn 2025 / Ortsoberoende / English / Web-based (online)
  
  Submit a late application
  
  Show more Show less
  
  Starts
  1 September 2025
  
  Ends
  18 January 2026
  
  Number of credits
  7.5 credits
  
  Type of studies
  Web-based (online)
  
  Mandatory meetings
  0
  
  Other meetings
  0
  
  Study pace
  25%
  
  Teaching hours
  Mixed
  
  Study location
  Ortsoberoende
  
  Language
  English
  
  Application code
  UMU-28020
  
  Eligibility Courses at least 90 ECTS in one subject. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English A/6.
  
  Selection
  Academic credits
  
  Application
  Application deadline was 15 April 2025. Submit a late application at Universityadmissions.se.
  
  Application and tuition fees
  As a citizen of a country outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees for studies at Umeå University.
  
  Application fee: SEK 900
  
  Tuition fee, first instalment: SEK 20,800
  
  Total fee: SEK 20,800
  
  Details about tuition, fees and funding

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Late applications
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More about application and admission

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