ABSTRACT
Themodernfoodsystemdevelopedaroundseveralcomponents,eachofwhichiscomplexinitself,andusually interpretedbyspecialistswithinthesocialandnaturalsciences. Forexample,technologicalchangesinagriculture(Chapter3) andfoodmanufacture(Chapter7)aretheprovinceofeconomistsandfoodtechnologists,andthoughtheyhaveattracted alotofattention,agriculturalchangeandthetransformation offoodthroughindustrialprocessesarerarelylinkedtothe socialandeconomicprocesseswhichhelptoexplainbothof them.Theyaretreatedasdiscreteareas,asseparate,ifrelated, concerns.Inasimilarwaythediscussionoftheurbanhousehold'sfoodconsumption,andthechangesintheworkundertakenbywomenwithinthishousehold,althoughithasattractedtheinterestoffeministscholars,isnotusuallylinked tothechangesoccurringwithinthehouseholdfarmeconomy. Inthiscasetheurban-ruraldivideservestodivorcetwoclosely relatedsocialandeconomicprocesses,whichhavedivested womenofdirect(technological)controloverthetransformationoforganicnatureandfood.Theshiftsinwomen'slabour marketparticipation,whichhaveaccompaniedthedevelopmentofthemoderndietinurbanareas,havecomeaboutpartly becauseofthekindoffoodweeat,andtheavailabilityof domestictechnologies.Theyalsomirrorwhathashappened onthefarm;inmostoftheadvancedindustrialsocieties womenplayalargerroleinthefamilyfarm,andhaveassumed roleswhichmighthavebeenperformedinamorespecializedsalariedform,hadthefamilyfarm(usuallyowneroccupied)notbeenthedominantsocialinstitutioninrural areas.
