The Joy of Cooking?

Sociologists Sarah Bowen, Sinikka Elliott, and Joslyn Brenton offer a critique of the increasingly prevalent message that reforming the food system necessarily entails a return to the kitchen. They argue that time pressures, tradeoffs to save money, and the burden of pleasing others make it difficult for mothers to enact the idealized vision of home-cooked meals advocated by foodies and public health officials.

Online Resources

Check out Voices Into Action: The Families, Food, and Health Project, an initiative lead by the authors to learn about families’ attitudes and behaviors towards food, and partner with communities to improve access to healthy, affordable food and spaces for physical activity.