Food and Culture

Catalog description

Is Indian curry an acquired taste or are we born with "taste"? Is eating organic, local or vegan just a fad or a sustatinable way of life? Or "are we really what we eat?" Culture and food is an interdisciplinary seminar that examines how culture shapes and interacts with food in society. Culture, religion, race, class and gender frame our experiences, relationships with and understandings of food. Students will employ a variety of theoretical perspectives to examine these relationships including social theory, feminist philosophy, and post-colonial theory. Exploring the works of Uma Narayan, Lisa Heldke, George Simmel, Appadurai, Edward Said and Pierre Bourdieu this course will also develop both a sociological and philosophical understanding of the study of food. Junior standing required.