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This course focuses on the general subject of how food shapes societies and cultural practices throughout the world. Foodways will be examined from an anthropological perspective for its social and cultural implications; this is not a survey of nutritional or dietetic sciences. Topics to be covered include: food in social contexts; food exchanges and the social construction of groups; food as a marker of social boundaries; food taboos and restrictions; the symbolism of food; folk conceptions of food; body image; transnationalism and global food industries; changes in dietary patterns; famine and food emergencies; fasting and abstinence; vegetarianism and alternative consumption regimes; the invention and commodification of new foods.

The anthropological perspective is largely a "bottom-up," comparative examination of particular social processes, and is presented in the form of ethnographic monographs and articles that describe everyday life in detail. The main question that we will be addressing throughout this course is "are you what you eat?" What is the role of food in naturalizing social structures and cultural practices? Is there something about food that makes it a unique marker of cultural identity?

Course Readings
Course Requirements
Class Schedule