Eating Cultures
Temple University
Spring 2014
What could I not tell you, my Lady, of the secrets of Nature which I have discovered in cooking!
That an egg hangs together and fries in fat or oil, and that, on the contrary, it disintegrates in
syrup. That, to keep sugar liquid, it suffices to add the tiniest part of water in which a quince or
some other tart fruit has been. That the yolk and white of the same egg are so different in nature,
that when eggs are used with sugar, the yolks must be used separately from the whites, never
together with them. I do not wish to tire you with such trivia, which I relate only to give you a full
picture of my native turn of mind, which will, no doubt, make you laugh. But, Madam, what is
there for us women to know, if not bits of kitchen philosophy? As Lupercio Leonardo [de
Argensola] said: One can perfectly well philosophize while cooking supper. And I am always
saying, when I observe these small details, If Aristotle had been a cook, he would have written
much more. . . .
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, excerpted from Respuesta a Sor Filotea de la Cruz, 1690
Dr. Patricia Moore-Martinez
AB 426
pmoore04@temple.edu
Office Hours:
Monday 2:00 – 4:00
Wednesday 8:30 – 9:30
Course Description
Everyone knows about the importance of home and hearth, but this concept differs radically
throughout the world. The Spanish “cocina”, the kitchen as the heart of the home, appears in
literature, film, theater, commercial enterprises and television. This course will examine
historical, sociological, anthropological and psychological interpretations of food and food
cultures. An understanding of how food and meals have evolved to create culture and memory
as well as distance and otherness (You eat what?!) will augment students’ understanding of
their relationship with culture, history, geography and themselves.
Using literature, food studies, visual media, and advertisements, we will examine how food
perception, production, preparation, consumption, exchange, and representation structure
individual and communal identities, as well as relations among individuals and communities
around the globe. Our focus on this most basic of needs will allow us to analyze how food
conveys and limits self-expression and creates relationships as well as delimits boundaries
between individuals and groups. Materials will be drawn from a wide range of disciplines
including, but not limited to, literary and gender studies, psychology, anthropology, history,
sociology, and economics.
Course Objectives: As a Gen Ed Human Behavior course, Eating Cultures is intended to
teach students how to:
• Understand relationships between individuals and communities;
• Understand theories or explanations of food and human behavior used to describe social
phenomena;
• Examine the development of individuals' beliefs, behaviors, and assumptions and how these
affect individuals and communities;
• Apply one disciplinary method to understand human behavior or explain social phenomena;
• Access and analyze materials related to individuals, communities or social phenomena;
• Compare and contrast similar social phenomena across individuals or communities.
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 1
Course Assessments:
Participation (15%): See attached rubric.
Neighborhood ethnographic investigation and critiques (8%)**: Corner store, grocery store visit,
gourmet store, restaurant, farmer’s market, etc. Throughout the semester, students will be
required to visit dwellings in which food is the primary focus. An essay comparing and
contrasting these locations, goals, and spaces in the communities will be the culminating
assignment.
**Community Service Alternative Assignment** (in lieu of ethnographic investigation) see
attached
Discussion Board (12%): 12 posts (following schedule on BB) in your DB community of 6
students. Each student will have a different role: One to ask a discussion question, one to find
evidence in article, one to give a personal reaction and three “free” responses. DB must take
place by midnight before the class to receive full credit.
Food Autobiography (5%) 2 – 3 pages
Marketing analysis (5%): Students will choose an advertisement, commercial or song jingle and
using the tools and theories covered in class, evaluate the target audience and the assumptions
inherent in the ad.
Regional Assignments: Each student will be assigned to one of 6 regional groups: the Iberian
Peninsula, Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean, the Andean Region, the Southern Cone
or Brazil. Throughout the semester, the student will conduct complementary and more profound
investigations of their region.
Meal preparation, presentation and advertisement (15%): A group of 5 students will plan and
prepare three courses from their region for the class. On the day of the meal, they will begin
with an original, multi-media advertisement for a food of the region, followed by a 10 minute
presentation introducing the class to the typical cuisine of the region, reflecting upon the history
of the region (diversity of groups, geography – agriculture, animal, etc.) and the foods they
chose to prepare.
Wiki (40%) (10% is final synthesis paper): The entire class will create a wiki exploring Eating
Cultures in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries and the Americas. Each student will be
responsible for contributing to the main page of their region, creating their own two pages within
their region, and making substantial modifications to other students’ pages. Each student’s
grade will be based entirely on his/her own contribution. A final two page paper will reflect what
was learned in the course of the wiki creation.
Course Policies:
Student Conduct: According to the Student Code of Conduct of Temple U:
It is the student's responsibility to:
Foster an environment conducive to the continued intellectual and educational
stimulation within the University free from harassment by other members of the community.
Students are to: Turn off all electronic devices.
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 2
Use of cell phones during an evaluation will result in an F.
Respect the right of all to speak and not interrupt.
Not engage in disruptive behaviors.
Disability Statement: This course is open to all students who meet the academic requirements
for participation. Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as
possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at 215-204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex to
coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Statement on Academic Freedom: Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable
facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty
Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the
following link: http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02.
Policy on Religious Holidays: If you will be observing any religious holidays this semester which
will prevent you from attending a scheduled class or interfere with fulfilling any requirement,
your instructor will offer you an opportunity to make up the class or requirement if you make
arrangements by informing your instructor of the dates of your religious holidays 1 week before
any holidays.
Academic Honesty: Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity.
Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. Essential to intellectual growth is
the development of independent thought and a respect for the thoughts of others. The
prohibition against plagiarism and cheating is intended to foster this independence and respect.
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor, another person's ideas,
another person's words, another person's assistance. Normally, all work done for courses -papers, examinations, homework exercises, laboratory reports, oral presentations -- is
expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. Any assistance
must be reported to the instructor. If the work has entailed consulting other resources -journals, books, or other media -- these resources must be cited in a manner appropriate to the
course. It is the instructor's responsibility to indicate the appropriate manner of citation.
Everything used from other sources -- suggestions for organization of ideas, ideas themselves,
or actual language -- must be cited. Failure to cite borrowed material constitutes plagiarism.
Undocumented use of materials from the World Wide Web is plagiarism.
Academic cheating is, generally, the thwarting or breaking of the general rules of academic work
or the specific rules of the individual courses. It includes falsifying data; submitting, without the
instructor's approval, work in one course that was done for another; helping others to
plagiarize or cheat from one's own or another's work; or actually doing the work of
another person.
The penalty for academic dishonesty can vary from receiving a reprimand and a failing grade for
a particular assignment, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the
university. The penalty varies with the nature of the offense, the individual instructor, the
department, and the school or college.
Students who believe that they have been unfairly accused may appeal through the school or
college's academic grievance procedure.
**Use of an on-line translator for assignments and compositions is considered academic
cheating**
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 3
Students must assume that all graded assignments, quizzes, and tests are to be
completed individually unless otherwise noted in writing. I reserve the right to assign a
grade of "F" for the assignment or the course in cases of academic dishonesty.
A) Iberian Peninsula
Spain
Portugal
B) Mexico and Central America:
Mexico
Guatemala
El Salvador
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panamá
Belize
C) Caribbean:
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Cayman Islands
Colombia
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
French Guiana
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Martinique
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthélemy
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks & Caicos Islands
Venezuela
Virgin Islands
D) Andean Region
Bolivia
Colombia
Ecuador
Perú
Venezuela
E) Southern Cone
Argentina
Chile
Paraguay
Uruguay
F) Brazil
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 4
Eating Cultures: Spring 2014
Course Calendar
Week 1: Jan 22, 24: Introduction: Food, Self, History, Community
Readings:
--Short poems
--Rozin, Paul “Why we eat what we eat and why we worry about it” (in BB)
--Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Chapter 16
Assignments:
Food Autobiography
________________________________________________________________
Week 2: Jan 27, 29, 31: Food & Community
--Sobal, “Constructing Food Choice Decisions” (course reserves – CR)
--Steptoe, “Development of the Measure of Motives Underlying the Selection of Food: the Food Choice
Questionnaire” (CR)
-- From Barrios and Borderlands, interview with Viviana Carballa (CR)
Assignments:
Grocery Visit
DB post #1
________________________________________________________________
Week 3: February 3,5,7: Food and Ritual
--Leviticus, The Dietary Laws. BB
--Douglas, The Abominations of Leviticus (CR)
--Harris, “The Abominable Pig” (CR)
--Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Chapter 17
Assignments:
DB post #2
________________________________________________________________
Week 4: February 10, 12, 14: Food Passages and Pantries: Familiar and Foreign
--Freedman, “The Medieval Spice Trade” (CR)
--Earle, “The Columbian Exchange” (CR)
--Sharma, (selections) “Food and Empire”
(CR)
--Pollan, Intro: “A National Eating Disorder” The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
Assignments:
DB post #3
Iberian Banquet - February 14th
________________________________________________________________
Week 5: Feb 17, 19, 21: Food Passages and Pantries: Familiar and Foreign
-- Neruda, “The Onion” (BB)
-- Hemingway, selections from “A Moveable Feast” (BB)
-- Castellanos “Cooking Lessons” (BB)
Assignments:
Corner Store visit
DB post #4
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 5
________________________________________________________________
Week 6: Feb 24, 26, 28: Food Passages and Pantries: Familiar and Foreign
Film – Like Water for Chocolate
--Korsmeyer, “Delightful Delicious Disgusting” (CR)
Assignments:
DB post #5
Mexico and Central American Banquet
________________________________________________________________
SPRING BREAK
________________________________________________________________
Week 7: March 10, 12, 14: Food Producers
--Pollan, “Corn” The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
Assignments:
Two days without eating corn: document what you eat
DB post #6
________________________________________________________________
Week 8: March 17, 19, 21: Consuming
--Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Chapters 9 - 14
--Mead, “Why Do We Overeat” (CR)
Assignments:
Begin wiki – key terms and biblio
Holy Cow: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/holy-cow/video-full-episode/1414/
Gourmet Store visit
DB post #7
Brazilian Banquet
________________________________________________________________
Week 9: March 24, 26, 28: Consuming – Cannibalism
-- Fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel, Robber Bride
-- Goldberg, “Cannibalism in Iberian Narrative: The Dark Side of Gastronomy”
-- TBA, Aztec cannibalism
-- Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Chapters 18 - 20
Assignments:
Intro page - wiki
DB post #8
Advertising analysis
________________________________________________________________
Week 10: March 31, Apr 2, 4: Food, Culture, Gender and Library Visit
--Counihan, “Food, Culture, and Gender” (CR)
--Swenson, “Domestic divo? Televised treatments of masculinity, femininity and food”(CR)
-- Carrington, “Feeding Lesbigay Families” (CR)
Assignments:
DB post #9
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 6
Individual page - wiki
Caribbean Cuisine Banquet
___________________________________________________________________
Week 11: Apr 7, 9, 11: Food, Gender, Culture
-- Bordo, “Not just 'a white girl's thing': The changing face of food and body image problems” (CR)
- O’Connor, “Demedicalizing Anorexia: A new cultural brokering” (CR
- Parasecoli, “Feeding Hard Bodies: Food and Masculinities in Men’s Fitness Magazines” (CR)
Assignments:
Individual page - wiki
Farmer’s Market visit
DB post #10
_________________________________________________________________
Week 12: Apr 14, 16, 18: Global politics of food
--Mintz, Sweetness and Power, intro & chapter 1. (CR)
--Newspaper articles on banana wars, GM food aid, fertilizer in Latin America and
Spain
--Clapp, “Political Economy of Food Aid in an Era of Agricultural Biotechnology”
(CR)
-- Film: Raising Resistance or Agrofuels
Assignments:
Wiki modifications
DB post #11
Andean Banquet
________________________________________________________________
Week 13: Apr 21, 23, 25: Food cultures
-- Pilcher, “Chiles, Chocolate, and Race in New Spain: Glancing Backward to Spain or Looking Forward to
Mexico?” (CR)
--José Emilio Pacheco, “Battles in the Desert.” (CR)
-- Rozin, P. (1999). Food is fundamental, fun, frightening, and far- reaching. (CR)
Assignments:
Wiki modifications
DB post #12
________________________________________________________________
Week 14: Apr 28, 20 May 2: Food cultures, cont.
--The slow food movement
--Field trip to an urban farm
--Revisit food autobiographies
Assignments:
Wiki complete
Southern Cone Banquet
________________________________________________________________
Week 15: May 5
Review session – restaurant visit.
Assignments:
Ethnographic analysis of food shopping visits
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 7
Eating Cultures Participation Rubric
** You will receive 5 participation grades throughout the semester ** Every absence after the third absence lowers your FINAL
participation grade by 10%. 9 or more unexcused absences will result in an F for the course.
A
B
C/D
F
Actively supports,
Makes a sincere
Peer
Limited interaction
Virtually no interaction with
engages, and listens effort to interact with
Interaction
with peers
peers
to peers (ongoing)
peers (ongoing)
Preparation
Arrives fully
prepared at every
class session
Arrives mostly, if not
fully, prepared
(ongoing)
Preparation is
inconsistent
Participation
Plays an active role
in discussions
(ongoing)
Participates
constructively in
discussions (ongoing)
When prepared,
participates
constructively in
discussions
Comments vague if given;
frequently demonstrates lack of
interest
Comments advance
level and depth of
dialogue
Relevant comments
are based on
assigned material
When prepared,
relevant comments
are based on
assignments
Demonstrates a noticeable lack
of interest on occasion
Group dynamic and
level of discussion
are often better
because of student’s
presence
Group dynamic and
level of discussion
are occasionally
better, but not worse,
because of student’s
presence
Group dynamic and
level of discussion
are sometimes
disrupted by
student’s presence
Group dynamic and level of
discussion are often disrupted
by student’s presence
Contribution
to Class
Group
Dynamics
Rarely or never prepared
YOU MAY POSITIVELY AFFECT YOUR PARTICIPATION GRADE BY:
• Becoming more active and/or making more effective comments that raise overall level of discussion and set examples for
others.
• Asking thoughtful questions that will enhance discussion and engage peers.
• Listening carefully to, supporting, and engaging your peers in discussion. This will essentially improve others’ learning
experience.
• Submitting by email a one-page, single-spaced critical summary (an analysis and critique) of assigned reading for class
missed. This option can be used two times.. The critical summary will not be considered part of any other grading rubric.
Absences after that will be factored in as an F for that day’s class.
YOU MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR PARTICIPATION GRADE BY:
1. Not attending class regularly, even though you meet attendance requirements. Even though you may have submitted
assigned work, your contribution will not have added to class discussion.
2. Dominating class discussions, thereby restricting others’ participation.
3. Disrupting others’ opportunity to listen and/or participate.
4. Making negative, offensive, and/or disrespectful comments during discussions
5. Using electronic devices such as ,but not limited to, a cell phone, iPod, or computer for personal or other coursework
reasons during class unless instructed to do so.
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 8
** Community Service Alternative Assignment **
One portion of the course allows students to choose the assignment that best suits their schedules, needs and
goals. With the primary objective a more in-depth examination of food in the community, students may choose
to do ethnographic research or twenty hours of community service.
“As part of this course, your classroom may be extended into the community. You may be involved in an
individual or group project that necessitates you walking or taking public transportation into the local Temple
neighborhoods or other Philadelphia neighborhoods. If you are uncomfortable with this aspect of the course,
community service may not be the right option for you.” (Language provided by Temple University Risk
Management)
Students must make a decision by February 3rd and placements for Community Service will be established.
Community Service Option
a) 20 hours of service (signed log sheet by supervisor)
b) a firm commitment to the center of your service
c) 3 one page reflections according to prompts and dates
d) Presentation to the class of your experience
Opportunities may include (but are not limited to):
1) Sunday Suppers: http://sundaysuppersphilly.org/volunteer/
Every week Sunday Suppers families share a healthy dinner around a family table. They learn about
fresh and healthier foods, different cooking techniques, simple nutrition facts and the importance of
family meals.
Increasing access to healthy food is an important first step, However, we believe that obesity and
malnutrition in urban areas is not solved by simply giving food to families. Sunday Suppers focuses on
better food choices and healthier preparation, all while keeping the family as the focal point. The goal of
the program is to equip each family with the information and hands-on skills they need to have
physically and emotionally healthier lives.
2) ** Engaging in the development of a nutritional fair engaging children, staff and parents at a Norris
Square Head Start facility. This option is part of a larger study to create research collaborations with
undergraduates, community partners and faculty. This option will include working with the children and
the staff and can lead to further opportunities such as conferences and presentations.
3) Hunger Coalition - (supervisor - a former Temple student!!) – see attached: Training dates January 24th
and 27th from 2 – 4 pm or February 3 and 4 from 6 – 8 at the Coalition.
1725 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 769-0659
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 9
Volunteer Opportunity:
The Coalition Against Hunger helps residents of Philadelphia apply for food stamp
benefits and improve food access. Ceiba is an organization that promotes economic
development of the Latino community. The Coalition and Ceiba are working together to
provide SNAP application assistance at various Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites
from January through April. Volunteers will work with clients to complete and submit SNAP
applications as well as conduct eligibility screenings. Volunteers are needed on Wednesdays
from 2pm-7pm at Concilio (705 N Franklin St, Philadelphia, PA) and on Fridays and Saturdays
from 10am-4pm at St Boniface Parish (174 W Diamond Street, Philadelphia, PA). Volunteers
will be trained beforehand on SNAP eligibility guidelines and the application process.
Volunteers are encouraged to come as often as they are willing. Please contact Rachel Aistrop
(raistrop@hungercoalition.org) to schedule your hours and training. (Spanish speaking skills
will be helpful but are not required).
Eating Cultures Syllabus Spring ’14 10