Food History and Culture

A typical class will combine lecture with open discussion and/or small group exercises. Students are expected to come to class having read all assigned readings by the day they appear on the syllabus and be prepared to discuss them critically. In the first three classes we will explore analytical tools and general approaches to the study of food history and culture. After the third week’s session students will be asked to develop a 1-2 page proposal for the topic of their final essay. It is up to the student to choose something they are interested in which relates to the themes and topics we will read about and discuss throughout the course. Further details will be provided at the end of the third session and students will have three weeks to complete. It will be due Oct. 21st. Students will then be asked to provide a written peer review of a fellow student’s paper proposal (at least 1000 words). These peer reviews should be critical yet constructive, asking relevant questions, and making an effort to provide useful feedback.
During part II of the course we will dig deeper into specific angles of food history and culture. For each session a small group of students will be in charge of presenting a brief summary of the readings as well as discussion questions. The final essay should be 4000 words excluding bibliography.