Food, Culture, and Society

Catalog description

Food is a basic human need. Beyond biological functions, food also has rich cultural significance. Taste, preference, rituals, traditions, gender, social class, and nationality all influence food choices and behaviors. In addition, economic and environmental factors, globalization, localization, and social movements affect our access and attitudes toward food. In this course, we will examine how food behaviors and beliefs are shaped by culture in its many forms. Students will be challenged to reflect on their own food culture and identify factors that unite-- rather than divide-- food cultures throughout the world.