Anthropology of Food

The course focuses on how anthropological knowledge and skills can be brought to bear on issues of food production and consumption. It discusses food-related issues, and how they interact, from the perspective of cultural anthropology. A basic human need, food carries cultural significance. Taste, ritual observance, tradition and heritage, gender, class, or ethnicity all shape our food preferences and choices. Moreover, socio-economic and environmental factors affect access to food, and our attitudes towards it. This course explores how food practices are formed and changed, and what anthropology may offer to the study of food-related issues and their main theoretical, methodological and ethical aspects. The importance of intercultural understanding is emphasized. Case studies from different regions and ethnographic fields are discussed. Students are expected to reflect critically on food issues and problematics in various settings, and to use anthropological methods and theories in addressing these.

Students will gain knowledge and skills of intercultural competencies in analysing and interpreting various food related issues from the perspective of cultural and social anthropology.

Participation at discussions, study of course literature, course assignments