Descriptif

In this class we’ll focus on food as a vehicle through which we can explore both our human past and think also about implications for our common future.  We will take a historical and anthropological lens to examine cross-culturally the role of food in tradition, ritual, and identity, and we will debate issues concerning its future role in the context of globalization, climate change, and sustainability.  Along the way, we will touch on topics such as slavery and the plantation economy, Indigeneity and colonialization, migration, and modern global exchange systems, among others.  Oral and written classroom work will be based on texts, films, or videos that touch on these topics. In addition, students will work in groups to research and present their findings on the historical trajectory of a global food commodity such as:  sugar, coffee, cocoa, tea, or others.