When social media meets sociology: A faculty-student collaborative research project on TikTok food content

What began as a desire to gain research skills became an interdisciplinary study for Della Huntley ’26, who recently spent five weeks analyzing food content on social media.

The sociology and environmental studies double major from South Portland, Maine, examined how TikTok food trends shape public perceptions of health, sustainability, and modern food systems.

Mentored by Xiaoshuo Hou, professor of sociology and Asian studies and chair of the Sociology Department, Della conducted a qualitative analysis of food-related TikTok videos to identify recurring themes and trends.

“Content about diets and cooking is often seen as apolitical online, but intentionally or not, it has the power to shape popular understandings of what makes a healthy or good lifestyle,” Della says. “It’s also a hub for sharing and communicating about how our modern food system works, its issues, and possibilities for change.” 

Bridging Two Fields Through One Research Path 

Beyond gaining research experience, the project allowed Della to meaningfully connect her two academic interests.

“It’s such an interesting intersection between my two majors,” Della says. “As an environmental studies major, I’m especially interested in sustainable agriculture and food systems, and I think a sociological understanding of food and eating is just as important as understanding agriculture from an environmental perspective."

Mentorship that empowers

Professor Hou has mentored more than a dozen student researchers and continues to model strong faculty-student collaboration at Skidmore. The research with Della was conducted through Skidmore’s Faculty-Student Summer Research Program, part of the Zankel Experience Network (ZEN). For Hou, mentorship is not only about guidance, but also about mutual learning. 

I am a strong believer in the teacher-scholar model. Collaborating with students gives them high-impact learning experiences, but it also allows me to learn from their perspectives. Their curiosity and fresh ideas push me to think more deeply about how projects are conceptualized."

Xiaoshuo Hou

Hou’s own research centers on economic and development sociology in China, focusing on informal institutions, labor precarity, and social change. Her recent monograph, "Young and Restless in China: Informal Economy, Gender, and the Precariat," examines rural-to-urban migrant workers, gender, and the informal economy in China’s post-socialist urban communities.

While this work may seem far removed from TikTok food content, Hou emphasizes that students’ interests are often connected to larger social structures.

Hou teaches SO216: Food and Society, a course that encourages students to reflect on how food preferences are socially constructed, examine the impacts of industrial agriculture, and explore debates surrounding alternative food systems.

“I’ve taken three classes with her, so she has seen me grow through almost my entire time at Skidmore,” says Della. “She’s supported and guided my project while also giving me the freedom to explore my own ideas.” 

Discoveries and Connections  

Through her research, Della became more aware of the wide range of ways people engage with food content online.

“My peers, friends, roommates, professors, and even my parents all shared different experiences with food content — from the kinds of videos they encounter to how they interpret them,” she says. “Keeping these different perspectives in mind was really helpful as I collected and analyzed my data.” 

In addition to uncovering new insights, the project also opened up new lines of inquiry.  

This project gave me a strong overview of the food content space online, but it also revealed so many rabbit holes I’d still like to explore. Spending time researching something I’m genuinely fascinated by helped me realize that I want to continue my education and keep doing research in the future.”

Della Huntley '26

Next semester, Della will continue developing this work through an independent study with Professor Hou.

The Power of Liberal Arts Research  

For Della, the opportunity to pursue a project driven by her own interests reflects the strength and uniqueness of a liberal arts education. 

“The fact that I can do a research project driven by my own academic interests is an incredible opportunity,” she says. “Even though I’m studying sociology, I’m constantly drawing on what I’ve learned in environmental studies and from my experiences working on farms. Without that interdisciplinary foundation, I don’t think I’d be able to make the kinds of connections I do.”