summer, oy
it isn't even xmas yest and i am already planning my summer...oy
these are the classes i am thinking about taking this summer. if i take at least two of them i will graduate a year earlier than planned. so we shall see about taking all three. if i do i will be going to france in june and going to class 4 days a week in july. so if you see me going insane, you'll know why. if i decided to take two and not all three courses i will have to decide upon the latter two
Culture and Cuisine: The Regions of France
This course surveys the history of French regional cultures and cuisines from the 17th century, and ends with the present day concerns in France over preserving the authenticity of traditions and products in the face of globalization, immigration, and foreign competition. Readings focus on relevant aspects of history, geography, and agriculture as these differ among the various regions of France, such as Burgundy, Brittany, Provence, Alsace, & the Southwest. We learn about the concept of terroir through tasting wines and other regional products and by studying how traditional recipes are tied to the land and to life styles. There is some coverage of national history as a background to development of regional cultures and cuisines. The format of the course is a combination of lecture, class discussion of readings, and food and wine tastings. Assignments require students to research regional foods, their histories, foreign influences, markets, trade routes, geographic particularities, etc. and to prepare a final major project based on the food of one region. For students who wish to explore the region of Burgundy for the last week of the class, they may travel with the group throughout the region.
Representations of Food and Gender in the Media
This course examines the relationship between food and gender (and gender roles) through an interdisciplinary examination of representations of food in visual culture. It looks at films and TV programs as well as other forms of visual culture (i.e. magazines, cookbooks, advertisements, photography, web pages, etc.). The investigation of these materials is guided by two main objectives: 1) to examine how these visual texts depict the relationship between food and gender; and then, 2) to analyze how these meanings are produced. In class, we watch relevant films and TV programs as well as look at other forms of visual culture. Assigned readings are designed to illuminate both the topics discussed as well as the specific visual material examined. A good portion of class time is given to discussing the readings in combination with a hands-on, in-depth analysis of the visual material.
Sociology of Food and Eating
How we grow, prepare, serve, and share food is a profoundly social activity. This course provides an introduction to particularly sociological approaches to the study of food and eating. However, because of the ubiquitous and complex nature of production and consumption in contemporary society, we explore cross- and inter-disciplinary approaches, moving from political economy to everyday life. The course focuses on how food preparation and consumption are often entwined with systems of inequality, constructing boundaries of intimacy and distance based on race, nationality, gender, and social class. By exploring qualitative studies, statistical analyses, fiction, and film, we also consider the best methods for approaching different topics.
these are the classes i am thinking about taking this summer. if i take at least two of them i will graduate a year earlier than planned. so we shall see about taking all three. if i do i will be going to france in june and going to class 4 days a week in july. so if you see me going insane, you'll know why. if i decided to take two and not all three courses i will have to decide upon the latter two
Culture and Cuisine: The Regions of France
This course surveys the history of French regional cultures and cuisines from the 17th century, and ends with the present day concerns in France over preserving the authenticity of traditions and products in the face of globalization, immigration, and foreign competition. Readings focus on relevant aspects of history, geography, and agriculture as these differ among the various regions of France, such as Burgundy, Brittany, Provence, Alsace, & the Southwest. We learn about the concept of terroir through tasting wines and other regional products and by studying how traditional recipes are tied to the land and to life styles. There is some coverage of national history as a background to development of regional cultures and cuisines. The format of the course is a combination of lecture, class discussion of readings, and food and wine tastings. Assignments require students to research regional foods, their histories, foreign influences, markets, trade routes, geographic particularities, etc. and to prepare a final major project based on the food of one region. For students who wish to explore the region of Burgundy for the last week of the class, they may travel with the group throughout the region.
Representations of Food and Gender in the Media
This course examines the relationship between food and gender (and gender roles) through an interdisciplinary examination of representations of food in visual culture. It looks at films and TV programs as well as other forms of visual culture (i.e. magazines, cookbooks, advertisements, photography, web pages, etc.). The investigation of these materials is guided by two main objectives: 1) to examine how these visual texts depict the relationship between food and gender; and then, 2) to analyze how these meanings are produced. In class, we watch relevant films and TV programs as well as look at other forms of visual culture. Assigned readings are designed to illuminate both the topics discussed as well as the specific visual material examined. A good portion of class time is given to discussing the readings in combination with a hands-on, in-depth analysis of the visual material.
Sociology of Food and Eating
How we grow, prepare, serve, and share food is a profoundly social activity. This course provides an introduction to particularly sociological approaches to the study of food and eating. However, because of the ubiquitous and complex nature of production and consumption in contemporary society, we explore cross- and inter-disciplinary approaches, moving from political economy to everyday life. The course focuses on how food preparation and consumption are often entwined with systems of inequality, constructing boundaries of intimacy and distance based on race, nationality, gender, and social class. By exploring qualitative studies, statistical analyses, fiction, and film, we also consider the best methods for approaching different topics.