JENSEN-THESIS-2018.Pdf (2.291Mb)
CONSUMPTION PATTERNS AND GROCERY PURCHASE DECISIONS AMONG MIDDLE AND WORKING CLASS FAMILIES IN SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA _____________ A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Sociology Sam Houston State University _____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts _____________ by Kimberly Curry Jensen December, 2018 CONSUMPTION PATTERNS AND GROCERY PURCHASE DECISIONS AMONG MIDDLE AND WORKING CLASS FAMILIES IN SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA by Kimberly Curry Jensen ______________ APPROVED: Karen Douglas, PhD Thesis Director Emily Cabaniss, PhD Committee Member Maki Hatanaka, PhD Committee Member Abbey Zink, PhD Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Bernadette Palombo, my dear friend and mentor, who is missed beyond words. “A good teacher is like a candle, it consumes itself to light the way to others.” - Mustafa Kemal Ataurk iii ABSTRACT Jensen, Kimberly Curry, Consumption patterns and grocery purchase decisions among middle and working class families in Shreveport, Louisiana. Master of Arts (Sociology), December, 2018, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. Extensive academic literature supports the finding that one’s socioeconomic status has significant influence on the food consumption patterns of individuals and families. Further, the link between diet and disease has been well established. However, not all states are equal when it comes to health and diet. The southern states, and more specifically individuals who consume a southern diet high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt, have much higher incidences of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other dietary influenced health conditions. To better understand the decisions people make at the grocery store, this thesis explores the grocery shopping decisions for low and middle income residents in four different neighborhoods in Shreveport, Louisiana.
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