Anth 3888 Anthropology of Food
Exam 1 s2010
Student’s Questions posted on the AFforum s2010
xxx red = questions used on exam I s2010
JES
We consider the shift from collection of food to production of food a major cultural revolution
because of its important long-term impact on how humans interact with their environment. List
some important examples of how this shift changed the way people lived and explain its
significance in the agricultural revolution of the Neolithic era.
I think this question is important because the agricultural revolution is the defining factor that set
us apart from our foraging ancestors and by examining the change, it allows us to see how the
structures within modern societies developed.
JAL
Farming is a vital international industry, however the face of farming is
undergoing many changes. Small farms are being sold into large corporation farms.
Explain why this change is occurring and what effect it has on the food you eat
everyday.
I think this is a good question because it deals with an important current event
in the food industry and the food supply that all of us consume.
JUS
]Explain the significance of the FDA's food pyramid as it relates to its
]creators. Is there a reason they may
]suggest certain foods and the amounts the average person should consume
]daily?
]
]I think this is an important question because from the time we are little,
]we have seen the food pyramids
]provided as the guide for our consumption. As we spoke in class, there
]may be reasons to look into the
]influence of a governmental organization on what their pyramid might tell
]us.
____________
This is a good question, but be a little careful when looking at the food pyramid information in
the textbook because that is the old pyramid, not the new 2005 version. The new one can be
seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyPyramid.
Tim Roufs
LBB
]Explain various ways that the Netsilik adapted to their environment and
]how they acquired food.
This question is fitting for the exam, because it is a very good example of people surviving in
extreme environmental conditions, living mostly on the entire body of the seal and provides an
original account of a tribe before having any contact with the outside world.
MSX
In the movie, Faces of Culture (pt 8), compare and contrast the agriculture between the Mayans
and Bali people.
I think this is an important question because it signifies how important culture ties in with the
ecosystem. They used their resources and their knowledge learned through cultivation. It's an
important aspect because the agriculture world is always expanding.
GJB
Compare and contrast the fasting practices of the Aztecs and their conquerors, and explain the
significance of their differences or similarities.
This question is fitting for the midterm exam because it was covered in some depth in the
assigned readings. It is also fitting for the course because it provides a great example of the
connection of food to a number of other cultural aspects, and most specifically spirituality.
Mill
]Compare and contrast the USDA and FDA.
]
]I think this is a good question because we have covered both the USDA and
]FDA a lot in class.
______
Just for the fun of it how about adding EPA and it's relation to food and the food industry?
Tim Roufs
Rump
Give an example of how you live in a multiple culture world and explain
]some ways in which this can be explained in food you eat.
]
]I think this is a good question because in this class we have learned how
]we all live in multiple culture worlds, like class, race, ethnicity, gender,
]sex, age, and institutions we belong to. These things all have an effect
]on us and can be seen in the foods we eat. Talking about your own cultures
]in terms of food is a good way to relate food to living in a multiple culture
]world and to this class.
______
Yes, and in one's answer one might bring in the information relating to the basic diagram that
was discussed in class (as a part of the answer).
Tim Roufs
Waltx
What is the difference between the USDA and the FDA and how do these two
]associations promote nutrition. Also what are the benefits and disadvantages
]of the recommendation of 3 cups of milk/dairy products daily?
]
]I think this question is important because many people think that the USDA
]Food Pyramid is a good guide for nutrition. And very interesting that 3
]cups of dairy daily is recommended even though most people have a lactose
]intolerance and are unable to consume dairy products without becoming sick.
______
Just for the fun of it I would also add EPA to the mix.
Tim Roufs
Cober
]1. The history of chocolate is an extensive one. Explain the differences
]between chocolate, cacao and cocoa. List several ways that cacao has been
]used and by whom. How is the use of cacao today similar to how it was used
]by early Mesoamericans?
]
]Many Americans eat chocolate every day, and I suspect few know the extent
]of its history. This question covers some basic knowledge of chocolate
]that I think any chocolate lover today should be aware of.
____________
Everybody loves chocolate.
On the exams I tend to word a question like this as "list three important ways" rather than "list
several ways."
Anthropologists also tend to like comparison and contrast questions, and segments of
questions, so I would also change the last part to read "In what major ways is the use of cacao
today similar to, and how is it different from, how it was used by early Mesoamericans.
Tim Roufs
Vanho
]Chapter 2 in "The Cultural Feast" focuses on Diet and Human Evolution.
] Describe how the ratio of Carbon 13 to Carbon 12 found in collagen can
]be used to determine diets of extinct hominids. Explain what the difference
]is when taking these readings from bones as opposed to the enamel of teeth.
] What could be the benefits and disadvantages of each?
]
]This question covers more of the Physical Anthropology of foods. It also
]asks the student to come to their own conclusions to part of the question.
This would be a very good question for a Food Archaeology course, but it is (for me, at least) a
little more technical than I would ask in this particular course. For this course I would focus more
on the results of the tests than on the technical aspects of the test itself.
Tim Roufs
Cri1
]In America's First Cusines Coe describes the Aztec's encounter with people
]from Europe. How did Motecuhzoma use the food stuffs of the new world
to
]decide if the Europeans were a threat or divine beings?
______
This is basically a good question, but I would broaden it a little bit
to include some of the things Motechuzoma used food stuffs for.
For example, I would ask the question in this way:
In America's First Cusines Coe describes the Aztec's encounter with
people
from Europe. How did the Aztecs use the food stuffs of the New World for
which they were best known, and how did Motecuhzoma to decide if the Europeans
were a threat or divine beings?
Some additional information on this is available on-line at
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anth3618/maaztec_feasts.html#title.
One of the classics of food anthropology is Louis Henry Morgan's. Montezuma's
Dinner. The North American Review. Vol. 122, Issue 251, April 1876,
pp.
265-308. [N.B. pp. 297-307]
Tim Roufs
ALT
Maize was a very important new world staple. Explain the domestication of maize and how the
discovery of the process of nixtamalization was so beneficial to the people.
I think this is an important question because maize sustained many cultures throughout time
and was significant to ancient Mesoamerica cultures like the Maya and Aztec
Sntets
]In the Cultural Feast text, chapter seven focuses on food and social organization.
] With in that focus is a section on 'food and the life cycle'. Identify
]the main theme of the section and outline its other points. Can you relate
]some of these ideas with your own experiences?
]
]
]I think this is a comprehensive exam question because it challenges the
]student to connect with the stories of other cultures in the book to their
]own reality. I also find it fascinating to reflect on our own food culture
]just as we focus on others.
____________
Actually this is a very good question, but Ch. 7 hasn't been assigned for the first half of the
semester, I would save this question for the final.
Tim Roufs
Seim
The Inca had a sophisticated system in place where agricultural produce and other food stuffs
would be collected and stored in warehouses and then redistributed among the populace,
ensuring that everyone had the food they needed. Compare and contrast this system with the
Aztec's tribute system.
Erbxx
Over time, the way humans get their foods has drastically changed. Describe the gender roles
as seen in the hunter gathers, horticulturalists, farmers, etc. How have these roles changed over
time, and describe how you see gender roles in food production and consumption today.
I think this is a good exam question because it can be answered from multiple resources as
seen in class, and it also includes a contemporary aspect.
Kelly Erb