FYS 1260 - Food Trucks on Every Corner

Credits: 4
From tacos to BBQ to donuts, food trucks have rapidly become a regular sight - and welcome smell and taste - in many cities, towns, and college campuses across the United States and Canada. Built upon the long history of street food vending common in the Global South, these businesses on wheels are more than tasty and (often) inexpensive food - they are also the products and drivers of cultural identity formation, placemaking, community economic development, and sustainable and creative entrepreneurship. This course examines the food truck phenomenon in North America, using these vehicles of deliciousness to explore historical trends and contemporary issues related to immigration, nationality, governance, localization of food systems, eco-gentrification, and racial and social justice. We will use urban case studies, engagement with local business owners, and the design of our very own food trucks to practice our skills of critical analysis, communication, empathy, and self-reflection.
McDaniel Plan: First-Year Seminar; Social, Cultural, and Historical Understanding