The course investigates our close and complex relationship with food. Food is not just a source of sustenance, but it also brings us deep joy and pleasure. Food has shaped societies, inspired gender identities, affected religion, and remains a very powerful political tool. We start by looking at early agriculture and stop at modern day supermarkets. The class also focuses on issues like rise of national cuisines, globalization of ethnic foods, and the role of industrialized food in shaping global markets. The course will also attempt to understand the ambivalent relationship we share with food and study the history of orthorexia, dieting and malnutrition. Using a wide range of historical evidence, both visual and literary the course will equip students develop a critical understanding of modern foodways and systems. Through the lens of food students will also gain knowledge of shifting intellectual paradigms, legal structures, and socioeconomic changes.
