Pierson To Person

JOHN T. LANG, Ph.D. is the chair of the Department of Sociology at Occidental College. Professor Lang devotes much of his academic research to the exploration of social relations surrounding the production and consumption of food. (EXTENDED EPISODE: 1hr 14min)   EPISODE NOTES:  Thanksgiving week is here and food takes center stage in America. So, too, on an extended episode of PIERSON TO PERSON as I talk with JOHN T. LANG, Ph.D. Professor Lang chairs the Department of Sociology at Occidental College and devotes much of his academic research to the exploration of social relations surrounding the production and consumption of food. Our wide-ranging conversation covers restaurant rivalries, fine dining, food trucks, small plates, family food budgets, meal kit delivery services, food TV, chain restaurants, the rise of Whole Foods, the fall of Fresh & Easy, the enduring cult of Trader Joe’s, food worker wages, lobster, caviar, sushi, Pringles, Cheetos, “secret” off-menu items, Yelp, food rituals … and a probl