Gastronomy
Note: the courses on this page reflect Summer Term 2008 offerings.
Please check back on December 15 for a list of courses available during Summer Term 2009.
Metropolitan College
MET ML 631 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, and 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. 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. 4 cr.
ML 631 Course Syllabus
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MET ML 706 Special Topic: 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. 4 cr.
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MET ML 712 Special Topic: 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. 4 cr.
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Courses of Related Interest
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