Sociocultural dynamics of nutrition practicies

Abstract

The article examines the socio-cultural dynamics of semantic meaning of food and traditions of eating in different periods of civilization. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the nutrition culture of an individual society demonstrates the basic social and cultural characteristics of the whole group, determining its specificity and mechanism of behavior in various situations. The main purpose of the study is to compare the attitude to food in the historical aspect to determine the origins of modern trends in the food culture. By the method of comparative historical analysis, the nutrition practices in rural, industrial and post-industrial types of society are considered. The result of the analysis is the statement about the transition of the vital meaning of food into the spiritual one with predominance of communicative factor. The modern trend of transformation of the food value from terminal to instrumental is revealed.

Keywords

• food phenomenon
• food culture
• nutrition practices
• food functions
• symbol
• communication
• feast