ANT 267: Food and Culture
Spring 2008, T, Th 10:00 - 11:15, Chambers 1006

Course Requirements

The most important work in this course is to be prepared for each seminar meeting; this means having thoroughly read the material and being prepared to discuss particular points from the reading. Readings are due on the day listed in the class schedule. Your engagement with the material is vital for the success of this learning experience.

Class Participation: 10%
Active participation requires that each student come to class prepared, having read the assigned material before class. This includes your leading two seminar meetings (we will schedule this on the first day of class).

Discussion Board: 10%
Each week, students will write a brief reaction towards an idea prompted by the reading, class discussion, or group project; you should feel free to write about whatever you feel is relevant. They are due every Monday night, before midnight. I expect you to have also reviewed your peers have written - you may respond to what they have written, but I expect all exchanges to be as civil as if they were said in person during class. LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Review Essay: 15%
This assignment is designed to help you overview the foundational literature on food and culture. This will be a take-home essay, due prior to class on 26 February 2008. No outside reading is expected or desired for this assignment. I will have a handout with a list of suggested topics.

Community Project (total 65%: group project, 25%; individual literature review, 10%; journal 10%; class presentation 10%; project summary group write-up 10%):
Successful completion of the community project is the central focus of this class. Students will be divided into various groups that will work with community leaders on a particular project. I will have more handouts during the semester on various aspects of the project, and will only summarize the nature of each aspect of the project. Once students have been assigned to a project, students will individually examine the academic and professional literature that will help them understand the wider context of the project, possible approaches/solutions to the problem, and other relevant issues. This is worth 10% of the grade. During the course of the project, students will also individually journal their work - this is also worth 10% of the grade, and will be submitted twice - once in the middle of the term for my ungraded review, and once in the end. Performing the project itself is worth 25% of the grade, and will be based on the assessment conducted by the community leader. Groups will also present their project, as a report in class (10%) and as a group write-up (10%). Once groups have been formed, students will need to be able to work cooperatively with each other - this is vital to the successful completion of the group project.

Submission of Writing Assignments: All assignments must be submitted to me electronically. You can do this in two ways: as an email attachment; or through the digital drop box in Blackboard. If you are not using Microsoft Word, please save the file as in "rich text format." If you have any questions about how to submit assignments, please see me individually.

Grading System:
Grades will follow the college system using the 4.0 scale (i.e., A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, etc. - see the college catalog) and weighted for each assignment as described above.

While students working with each other outside of class is highly encouraged, all graded, individual written work must be your own and pledged accordingly. All work is subject to the Davidson College Honor Code as stated in the student handbook. If there are individual accommodations for special needs, please let me know and authorize the Dean of Students to contact me so that we can work something out.