FST 1110 - Food Studies: An Introduction

Credits: 4
This course introduces students to Food Studies, an interdisciplinary, sensory and experiential field that examines the relationships between food and the human experience from a range of humanities and social science perspectives. We will explore the complex ways in which food has influenced human history and explore the role food plays in the construction of personal and collective identity in terms of body, race and ethnicity, class, gender, nationality, and social movements. We also will examine questions of hunger, and cultural aspects of food politics, paying particular attention to globalization and the international flow of people, goods, ideas, and technologies. We will address key questions such as: What is food? How has food influenced human history across the globe? How has our social environment or culture influenced our views of what we consider food? How was /is food produced, distributed and consumed and by whom? What effects does this have on the environment? What are the ethical, cultural and spiritual meanings of food? Why are so many people hungry while others eat so much that it makes them sick?
McDaniel Plan: International Nonwestern; Social, Cultural, and Historical Understanding