Socioeconomic Class vs Food

Freedman and Jurafsky made a very interesting study that analyzed the correlation between socioeconomic class and food. The 12 different potato chips that they looked at (six were considered expensive and six were considered inexpensive) were the basis of a comprehensive cultural study. They found many different connections between the socioeconomic class and the type of potato chip that the group of people purchased. Many factors were found from this: there is a correlation between health, chips, literacy, and social class. Generally the people who could afford to buy the expensive chips were looking for more detailed and advanced nutrition information and more words promoting a healthier chip. This follows the trend mentioned in the article that explains the higher-income individuals are more healthy, better educated, and are willing to satisfy these traits with a healthier, more elite bag of chips. The same goes for lower-income individuals. They are looking for the least expensive chips, and it usually happens that the number of words on these chips are less than the expensive kind and are at a lower reading level than the words on the expensive chips.

What I found most interesting about this study was the wording on the chip bags. The inexpensive chips say, "What gives our chips their exceptional great taste? It's no secret. It's the way they're made!" The expensive chips say, "We use totally natural ingredients, hand-rake every batch, and taste chips at every stage of preparation to ensure quality and taste." This gives a nice example of how socioeconomic class directly correlates to what food you eat.

I think another good example of this could be found in the fast-food industry. McDonalds and Taco Bell would be generally be a more inexpensive meal as opposed to like a Subway or a sit-down meal.