GLS 535: The Historical Geography of Food
Instructor: Elizabeth Hines
This course explores the geography of foodways from hunter/gatherers through the invention of agriculture into the modern period. Included are the exchange of foodways between the Old and New Worlds, American foodways, organic foods, the effects of exploding populations and enhanced food production on current and future food supplies, the causes and effects of famine, the exploitation and decline of world fisheries, climatic and economic parameters of food production worldwide, and the role of foods in a variety of cultural practices, especially its place in religions and other cultural practices. We’ll take at least one afternoon-long field trip to an organic farm and we'll prepare and sample exotic and historic foods in class and in a culminating multicultural feast.
Required Reading (purchase):
- Mintz, Sidney, Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History, 1986
- Pollan, MIchael, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, 2006
- Shiva, Vandana, Stolen Harvest: The Highjacking of the Global Food Supply, 2000.
Suggested Reading (on reserve):
- Douglas M. Boucher, The Paradox of Plenty: Hunger in a Bountiful World, 1999; Nestle, Marion, What to Eat, 2006.
- Jose Bové and François Dufour, The World is Not For Sale: Farmers Against Junk Food, 2001
- Bryant, Carol A., et al, The Cultural Feast: An Introduction to Food and Society, 2003
- Felipe Fernández-Armesto, Near A Thousand Tables: A History of Food, 2002
- Pillsbury, Richard, No Foreign Food: The American Diet In Time And Place, 1998
- Pollan, Michael, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, 2002
- Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, 2001
Evaluation: Based on class participation, including weekly assignments, a research proposal and concomitant paper and a class presentation of results.
- Class Participation: Attend class and make contributions to the discussion. This will include a short report of your examination of one of the books on Reserve in Randall Library. Collect articles about food news from various sources. Go on the field trip. Attend and contribute to the final feast. 20%
- Food journal: For one month, record what you (and your household) eat, including when, how, and where food is consumed and from where your food comes. 15%
- Research proposal: After exploratory research, select a topic and write a one page research proposal, outlining the problem and plan of attack. 10%
- Class presentation: Research results will be shared with the class in a 10-15 minute oral presentation at the end of the term. Illustrations, examples required. 20%
- Research paper: A well researched and written document, prepared in the standard format, of 10 to 20 pages with maps, tables and other illustrations. Every topic must have historic and geographic components. 35%
Images are provided by the instructor.
Last Update: Feb 10, 2008
