82-063 Egyptian and Levantine Foodways: Cultural Economy, Politics, and Terroir
3 units, Carnegie Mellon University
This innovative course introduces students to Food Studies as a discipline that serves as a powerful tool for understanding and interpreting global food cultures. Through geographic cultural case studies, the course provides a comparative exploration of global food cultural practices, enabling students to interpret their own experiences and those of others as a product of one's culture and experiences with other cultures, with a focus on Egypt and the Levant. Through this comparative lens, students will be exposed to various worldviews and ways of thinking, cultivating their global cultural awareness. By engaging with key theories and debates within Food Studies and contextualizing food cultures within their historical development, the course explores how socioeconomic transformations, migration, notions of national and religious identities, and climate change shape hybrid cuisines and culinary narratives. Drawing from history, media, film, literature, ethnography, and languages, students will develop a critical understanding of how foodways contribute to cultural negotiation, addressing issues such as sustainability, identity, belonging, and cultural preservation. By the end of this course, students will be able to identify their own cultural contexts before they effectively interact with others. They will gain a deeper appreciation of the significance of food in illuminating the role of social and political institutions in establishing and perpetuating beliefs and adherence to cultural norms. They will also reflect on their role as global citizens vis a-vis global challenges. Students will have the opportunity to taste and experience select dishes firsthand. Taught in English. Satisfies GenEd requirement: "Intercultural and Global Inquiry."
Prerequisites: none listed
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