Food and Culture

Catalog description

Food is a universal, yet highly diverse, feature of the human condition. Foodways function to create social unity, but also to distinguish cultures. How and why do cultures develop unique methods of food preparation and consumption? How do food rules develop and how are they maintained? The goal of this class is to gain an understanding of foodways in different cultures and how food habits function beyond providing calories and sustenance. The course uses information from biological anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, and human ecology to understand the historical development of foodways and modern cultural variation in food habits in different areas of the world. It also examines issues related to modern disparities in health and nutrition in light of globalization and the political, technological, and environmental factors that result in differential production and access to food resources. This course may not be offered annually.