Research Guides: Philosophy Research Guide: Philosophy, Food & Identity

Introduction

This guide will assist you in locating published scholarship (essays, books, chapters, journal articles, etc.) to read on a topic.

Choose a topic that is interesting to you and which will work within your assignment's parameters.
Read good summaries of the topic in subject encyclopedias, like those listed below.
Once you have a basic overview, then search for published scholarship in catalogs, databases, etc.

Remember to evaluate the accuracy of your sources, and think critically about their content and arguments.

Reference Essays (from Encyclopedias & Dictionaries)

Subject encyclopedias and other reference guides can provide good background information on a topic. Many reference books are in printed format, while others are available in electronic resource collections such as:

Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library)

Oxford Reference

The Cambridge World History of Food (2 vols.) by Kenneth F. Kiple (Editor); Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. TX353 .C255 2000
ISBN: 9780521402163
Publication Date: 2000-10-09
"Ranging from the eating habits of our prehistoric ancestors to food-related policy issues we face today, this work covers the full spectrum of foods that have been hunted, gathered, cultivated, and domesticated; their nutritional makeup and uses; and their impact on cultures and demography. It offers a geographical perspective on the history and culture of food and drink and takes up subjects from food fads, prejudices, and taboos to questions of food toxins, additives, labeling, and entitlements."
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (3 vols.) by Solomon H. Katz (Editor); William Woys Weaver (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. GT2850 .E53 2003
ISBN: 0684805650
Publication Date: 2002-12-01
"This stunning source explores the nutritional and cultural impact of food, with articles written by anthropologists, chefs, food historians, nutritionists, agronomists, food stylists, and other food researches."
Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition (4 vols., 3rd ed.)
ISBN: 9780123750839
Publication Date: 2013-01-18
"It presents the latest understanding on a wide range of nutrition-related topics including food safety, weight management, vitamins, bioengineering of foods, plant based diet and raw foods among others. New articles on organic food, biofortification, nutritional labeling and the effect of religious customs on diet, among many others, reflect the dedication to currency in this revision."
Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia (4 vols.) by Ken Albala (Editor)
Call Number: Ref. GT2850 .F666 2011
ISBN: 9780313376269
Publication Date: 2011-05-25
"This comprehensive reference work introduces food culture from more than 150 countries and cultures around the world--including some from remote and unexpected peoples and places. From babka to baklava to the groundnut stew of Ghana, food culture can tell us where we've been--and maybe even where we're going."
Food in Context (2 vols.) by Brenda Wilmoth Lerner; K. Lee Lerner
ISBN: 9781414486529
Publication Date: 2011-06-16
"Examines food in relationship to nutrition, world health issues, agriculture, environmental concerns, current events and political decision-making."
Foodways and Folklore by Jacqueline S. Thursby
ISBN: 9780313341731
Publication Date: 2008-03-30
"In every land, various traditions, customs, and legends have developed around food. And because these diverse traditions are central to the multicultural character of the United States, ethnic foodlore permeates American society. From early Native American cultures to the modern influx of Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants, this book is an accessible introduction to foodlore and foodways."
The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets (2 vols., 3rd ed.)
ISBN: 9781410388278
Publication Date: 2018-09-01
"Presents information on diet and nutrition, including special diets, popular diets, dietary concerns, nutrition basics, and health-related concerns. Topics are organized around the development and history of a diet, its basic principles, any key figures that influenced the practice, and any public and regulatory concerns associated with the diet"--
The Gale Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Food Labels by Gale Research Inc (Other Primary Creator)
Call Number: RA784 .G346 2017
ISBN: 9781410338921
Publication Date: 2016-11-10
"Covers key nutrition and food label topics and terms as well as diseases and global food/nutrition issues"--
Nutrition and Well-Being a to Z by Delores C. S. James
ISBN: 9780028657073
Publication Date: 2004-05-27
"Examines the relationship between food and health on a historical, national, and personal level. It analyzes how nutrition has affected quality of life, health, and fitness in various countries at different times in history. The work looks at the connections between diet and such diseases...Historical as well as contemporary methods of treatment are presented from an international viewpoint."

Scholarly Books

OneSearch; Search for printed and electronic scholarly books at QC and other CUNY libraries.
WorldCat: Search for scholarly books in the national catalog for the United States and Canada. Includes holdings from libraries in other parts of the world, primarily European or English-speaking.

Subjects for Searching in Catalogs & Databases

Food

Food
Food Habits
Cooking
Gastronomy
Diet
Dinners and dining
Drinking behavior
Drinking customs
Nutrition
Ethnobotany

Well-Being

Alternative medicine
Complementary therapies
Traditional medicine
Folk medicine
Ethnomedicine
Healing
Health
Herbs - Therapeutic
Mental healing
Medicinal plants
Well-being

Scholarly Journal Articles (Search Databases)

America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
Definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Atla Religion Database This link opens in a new window
This database is an essential resource for religious and theological studies, providing bibliographic records covering topics such as biblical studies, world religions, church history, and religion in social issues.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new window
CINAHL Database provides indexing of the top nursing and allied health literature available including nursing journals and publications from the National League for Nursing and the American Nurses Association.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition This link opens in a new window
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition is a trusted full-text database covering nursing and allied health topics, including pediatric nursing, critical care, mental health, nursing management, and medical law.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Historical Abstracts is the definitive full-text database covering world history (excluding the United States and Canada) from the 15th century to the present.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Humanities Source This link opens in a new window
Humanities Source is a valuable full-text database covering literary, scholarly, and creative thought.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a multi-disciplinary collection of scholarly journals and e-books that include primary sources, images, and more.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
JSTOR provided expanded access during the pandemic (June 2020-June 2023). Expanded access expires on June 30, 2023. CUNY will reinstate that access beginning in January 2024.You may review the Electronic Resources Status Dashboard for updates. Questions? Email: access-support@qc-cuny.libanswers.com or Open a Ticket!
Philosopher's Index This link opens in a new window
This current and comprehensive bibliographic database covers scholarly research in all major fields of philosophy.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Collection of scholarly journals with strong coverage for the life and physical sciences, medicine, and technical fields, with additional content in the social sciences and humanities.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Indexes the international literature of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences; (1952-current).
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.

Scholarly Journals for Food Studies

Magazines for Food Studies

Selected List of Scholarly Books at QC

Food in Time and Place by Paul Freedman (Editor); Joyce E. Chaplin (Editor); Ken Albala (Editor)
ISBN: 9780520959347
Publication Date: 2014-11-24
"Food in Time and Place delivers an unprecedented review of the state of historical research on food, endorsed by the American Historical Association, providing readers with a geographically, chronologically, and topically broad understanding of food cultures--from ancient Mediterranean and medieval societies to France and its domination of haute cuisine."
Food Is Culture by Massimo Montanari; Albert Sonnenfeld (Translator)
ISBN: 9780231137904
Publication Date: 2006-11-21
"Elegantly written by a distinguished culinary historian, Food Is Culture explores the innovative premise that everything having to do with food--its capture, cultivation, preparation, and consumption--represents a cultural act."
How Food Made History by B. W. Higman
ISBN: 9781444344653
Publication Date: 2011-08-08
"Covering 5,000 years of global history, How Food Made History traces the changing patterns of food production and consumption that have molded economic and social life and contributed fundamentally to the development of government and complex societies."
The Philosophy of Food by David M. Kaplan (Editor)
ISBN: 9780520951976
Publication Date: 2012-02-01
"This book explores food from a philosophical perspective, bringing together sixteen leading philosophers to consider the most basic questions about food: What is it exactly? What should we eat? How do we know it is safe? How should food be distributed? What is good food?"
Routledge International Handbook of Food Studies by Ken Albala (Editor)
ISBN: 9780415782647
Publication Date: 2012-10-15
"Offers students, scholars and all those interested in food-related research a one-stop, easy-to-use reference guide. Each article includes a brief history of food research within a discipline or on a particular topic, a discussion of research methodologies and ideological or theoretical positions, resources for research, including archives, grants and fellowship opportunities, as well as suggestions for further study."
A Taste of Power by Katharina Vester
ISBN: 9780520960602
Publication Date: 2015-10-02
"In this brilliant interdisciplinary work, Katharina Vester examines how cookbooks became a way for women to participate in nation-building before they had access to the vote or public office, for Americans to distinguish themselves from Europeans, for middle-class authors to assert their class privileges, for men to claim superiority over women in the kitchen, and for lesbian authors to insert themselves into the heteronormative economy of culinary culture."