Food Sociology

On these pages you will find information on the modules offered by the Professorship of Sociology of Food and on the process of writing final theses. Please register for the modules via stud.IP in order to receive specific information.

Modules offered by the Professorship of Sociology of Food

The following modules provide an introduction to key topics in the sociology of food and connect theoretical perspectives with current societal issues.

Food Systems (BK 079 - winter semester)

From the field to the plate, food is embedded in complex systems with a wide range of actors, dependencies, and effects. In the module Food Systems, students engage with the key components of such systems, ranging from households and markets to political and technological frameworks.

The module addresses both historical developments and current challenges, for example in relation to health, sustainability, and social justice. Students learn how global and local food systems function, which factors shape them, and how they can be assessed. The role of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in shaping future-oriented food systems is also discussed critically.

Sociology of Food (BK 080 - summer semester)

How, what, and why we eat is more than a matter of taste – it is deeply intertwined with social, cultural, and political structures. The module Sociology of Food introduces core social-scientific concepts and theories for understanding food as a societal phenomenon.

Students learn to compare different sociological perspectives – for example from the sociology of consumption, culture, or the body – and to apply them to everyday situations as well as concrete questions in consumer research. Central questions include: Which social routines and values shape our eating practices? How do political and economic frameworks influence food consumption? And what does our relationship to food reveal about us as a society?

Sociology of Eating (MP 198 - winter semester)

Eating is more than the intake of nutrients – it is an expression of identity, social change, and cultural values. The module Sociology of Eating approaches food as a socially shaped phenomenon and explores how eating practices are influenced by social structures, rituals, and political discourses.

Students learn to analyse food from different social-scientific perspectives, for example in relation to morality and ethics, group belonging, or the role of institutions. The focus is not on individual food cultures, but on the multiple meanings food assumes in different contexts: as part of everyday practices, as a symbol of social belonging, or as an expression of societal power relations.

Political Ecology (MK 110 - summer semester)

How do power relations shape the ways we deal with natural resources? And which political, economic, and moral negotiations underlie seemingly everyday matters such as agriculture, food, or environmental protection? The module Political Ecology examines these questions critically and in an interdisciplinary way.

At the centre of the module is the analysis of conflicts and dynamics surrounding resources, environment, and society – from global power relations to local practices. Students learn to identify the political and moral dimensions of ecological issues, to reflect on actors’ strategies, and to analyse current debates – for example on sustainability, governance, food security, or environmental justice – in a differentiated way.

Food is treated as one example among many in order to make political ecology tangible in everyday life, for instance in discussions of food systems, food policy, or social movements such as the food sovereignty movement. The main focus, however, lies on broader questions of power, resource distribution, and ecological responsibility in a globalised world.

In this module, students produce a podcast in which a theoretical concept from political ecology is used to analyse an empirical phenomenon. Here are some examples from the summer semester 2025:

• The Decrease of Insect Pollinators Through a Political Ecology Lens

• With trees or against trees? Politics of Agroforestry

• Kropotkast: Seasonal Migrant Labour in German Agriculture

Sociology of the Body

This module examines how bodies are socially shaped and what role they play in identity, social inequality, and societal norms. It focuses on topics such as gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality, as well as the significance of food for body image, health, and social practices. Students learn to analyse body-related questions from a sociological perspective and to critically reflect on the interrelations between body, food, and society.

Final theses at the Professorship of Sociology of Food

Final theses at the professorship are supervised through a clearly structured process. A distinction is made between Bachelor’s and Master’s theses:

• Bachelor’s theses are tied to one semester and are supervised in small groups within a colloquium.
• Master’s theses are supervised individually and are not tied to a colloquium.

Bachelor’s theses at the Professorship of Sociology of Food

The supervision of Bachelor’s theses at the Professorship of Sociology of Food takes place on a semester basis within a mandatory colloquium. Supervision outside this framework is not possible.

Phase 1: Orientation and expression of interest

A prerequisite is the successful completion of at least one module offered by the professorship (see above). If you are interested in supervision, please send an email including:

• the module you have taken
• a brief indication of the empirical phenomenon that interests you
• an initial idea of the theoretical approach

You will then receive an invitation to the information session for the respective semester. For the summer semester, the information session takes place at the end of January; for the winter semester, at the beginning of July. This initial contact does not constitute a commitment to supervise your thesis.

Phase 2: Topic development and short outline

After the information session, you prepare a written short outline (approx. 1–2 pages) containing the following points in full sentences:

1. Empirical phenomenon
   Which concrete social phenomenon would you like to investigate?
   In which context does it occur? Why is it socially relevant?
2. Aim of the study and research question
   What would you like to find out with your thesis?
   What preliminary research question emerges from this?
3. Theoretical or conceptual approach
   Which approach or key concepts would you like to work with?
   Why does this approach seem suitable for analysing the chosen phenomenon?
4. Empirical procedure
   What kind of data would you like to collect or analyse (e.g. interviews, documents, observations)?

On the basis of this outline, we decide whether supervision can be offered for the respective semester. Once accepted, participation in the colloquium becomes mandatory and the thesis is registered with the examinations office. To support topic development and methodological orientation, we recommend the book "Lesen, Schreiben, Denken - in 7 Schritten zur Abschlussarbeit".

Phase 3: Planning and specification in the exposé

In the next step, you prepare an exposé (approx. 2–3 pages). The exposé serves to structure the project systematically and will be discussed in a personal meeting. Please arrange an appointment with your supervisor via stud.IP. It should contain the following elements:

1. Introduction: presentation of the empirical phenomenon, social relevance, aim, and refined research question.
2. Conceptual / theoretical approach: explanation of the key concepts or approaches used to analyse the phenomenon.
3. Empirical procedure: type of data, data collection strategy, access to the field or material, planned method of analysis.
4. Time schedule: realistic planning of the individual work steps.
5. Preliminary literature base

For Bachelor’s theses, the exposé primarily serves conceptual clarification within the ongoing supervision process. After the individual meeting, the exposé is usually revised once again. Appointments for an individual meeting can be arranged via the supervisor’s profile page on stud.IP.

Step 4: Implementation (written part of the thesis)

The processing time is six months. The Bachelor’s thesis comprises approx. 40 pages (workload approx. 360 hours). Participation in the colloquium serves the continuous reflection on the research question, theory, and empirical procedure.

Step 5: Completion (oral part of the thesis)

After the written part has been successfully assessed, you present your results in the colloquium.

Further information

Further information as well as full module descriptions and timetables can be found in Stud.IP and on the general pages of the faculty under the section Study.

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