As an essential yet also mundane everyday activity, eating in all cultures is expressive of both belief-systems and social distinctions that exist within them. While this has been recognized in social science - and, particularly, anthropology - many questions concerning the meanings of foodways within the overall patterns of “post-modern” culture have yet to be tackled. We argue that a novel signification of food consumption is currently taking place: in a social context where attrition of customary practices creates an extended range of options (which, notably, also represents a constraint), some of the needs of self-conscious individuation that arise within such a context are met through eating practices based on personal choice rather than social habit. In this article, the concept of an “eater's career” is used to explore theoretical and methodological dimensions of inquiry into uses of food that are significant for identity formation and maintenance in contemporary society.
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