Social and Moral Aspects of Food and Eating

For most people in the world, food and eating are embedded in a social context, and have strong moral and social status. The separation of food from its origins, that is to say, its decontextualization, in Western industrialized countries masks these functions of food, although they are still present. Two widespread beliefs, “you are what you eat” and contagion (once in contact, always in contact), help to account for the social and moral roles of food. These beliefs are described, and evidence is presented, some based on Asch’s impressions technique, that they are operative in educated American adults. Both beliefs, and the social and moral functions of food, are manifested in the emotion of disgust.