Or, if you want to continue on your first paper as an overall theme, you could stay on the same theme from your first paper but add a social justice/society dimension to it (but this new component should be 5-6 pages of new material, like a second part of the overall paper).
I will bring the next set of readings on Nov 1.
The continuing theme of the Davies Forum, “The Search for Values in Contemporary America,” promises a refreshing examination of the turbulent state of American society in the last half of the 20th Century and into the 21st Century. But perhaps more importantly, it fosters an analysis of the country’s current struggle to define its purpose and direction. Each year the Forum members choose a different perspective from which to pursue their investigations.
This fall, I have selected a perspective involving “food, culture, and social justice,” to examine the theme. Despite the fact that food is one of the most significant elements in our lives, there have been relatively few systematic studies of food and its meaning in the context of our selfhood, identity, care, culture, society, and politics. This course aims to examine the cultural meaning of food, its impact on our lives, as well as its ethical, political, and philosophical significance, in both national and international contexts.
17 enthusiastic and top-quality “Davies Scholars” students
1 enthusiastic professor
large amount of keen intellect
mountains of curiosity
lots of passion
5 outstanding speakers
Mix the first two ingredients. Add the next three ingredients.
Stir vigorously. Add the last ingredient, one at a time, carefully
mixing after each addition so that it becomes well-blended. Serve
with the spirit of sharing and good will. Enjoy!
The course has the following three parts:
1. Food, Culture, and Identity. In this section, we will examine
issues such as the role of food in cultural identity; food, domesticity,
and gender; gastronomy as art; food and human relations; food, nutrition
and healing.
2. Food, Ethics, and Social Justice. In this section the issues
focus on broader, more political issues regarding food, such as food as
a symbol of care, problems with food distribution; domestic and world hunger
problems; the debates concerning vegetarianism.
3. Food and Our World, Our Future. The course ends with reflections
on issues regarding food and technology (biotechnology of food), food production
and global population, and related issues that would include further considerations
on the politics of food.
To enhance our learning, in addition to the regular seminar activities (discussions of the material) and academic requirements (papers), this course also aims to focus on “hands-on” transformative experiences involving food. It includes:
? Visiting guest lecturers, all food specialists in one way or another,
who will come to the seminar as well as present public talks (see schedule
and descriptions below)
? Opportunity for you to take a one-day course at the California Culinary
Academy (on Polk Street). You will have a choice of “appetizers,”
“desserts,” “main dish,” “ethnic cuisine,” “wine,” etc. Do a report.
? Opportunity to work at Project Open Hand, St. Anthony’s Foundation,
Valley of the Hearts, and other local food-related organizations
? Food journals and reflections
? Chance to share food and recipes by way of monthly potluck, if feasible.
? Watch and critique food-related film
? Do a book report on food-related material
This lecture is co-sponsored by the Center for the Pacific Rim, USF.
Founded in 1985 by Ruth Brinker, Project Open Hand is one of the
largest non-profit organizations in San Francisco. POH provides home
delivered meals, groceries and nutrition counseling to people living with
HIV/AIDS; congregate lunches and nutrition education to seniors; meal service
for homebound and critically ill people under the age of 60.
The events for Richard Steven Street are co-sponsored by the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, the California Historical Society, and by a grant from the California Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Dr. Richard Steven Street, historian and photographer, has chronicled
agricultural workers for more than 20 years. He has been nominated
twice for the Pulitzer Prize and received the Lincoln Steffens Award for
Investigative Journalism from the Sonoma Press Club; the Thomas Storke
Award for International Journalism from the Commonwealth Club; and Best
Agricultural Reporting in California, from the Sigma Delta Chi Journalism
Fraternity. His three-volume, comprehensive history of California
farm workers from 1769-2000 is forthcoming from Stanford University Press.
He has also been a Fellow at the Center for U.S-Mexico Studies, U. C. San
Diego, a Visiting Professor in the History Department at Stanford University,
and a Fellow in the Stanford Humanities Center. He taught the history of
photography and exploited his vast file of 10,000 historical images to
teach the first illustrated lecture course on California farm workers.
His is a Guggenheim Fellow, 2001-2002.
Dr. Stone specializes in tracking the political, economic, social, technological
and agricultural trends that are propelling us towards both global catastrophe
and Global Community. From trading CO2 emissions to supplying the world's
people with food, he researches their implications for how we will live,
work, structure our communities and evolve our global inter-dependence
over the next 25 years. Harvey is the Director of the Global Community
Project. Previously, he founded Well-Spoken!, a communications company
working with high-tech corporations. Harvey has also taught in the MBA
program at UC-Berkeley. He hosted a radio show for 3 years that featured
positive developments moving us towards a more equitable and sustainable
world. He has presented on food and other global issues to Heifer Project
International, the High Country Community Alliance and many other groups.
He has led trainings in The Natural Step and is currently a member of the
Japan-US Sustainability Study Group.
Dr. Goldstein has written extensively on Russian literature, culture,
art, and cuisine. Her books include A Taste of Russia and The Georgian
Feast The Vibrant Culture & Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia.
She is Founding Editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture,
published by the University of California Press. Combining a keen appreciation
for the pleasures and aesthetics of food with the latest in food studies,
Gastronomica is a vital quarterly forum for ideas, discussion, and thoughtful
reflection on the history, representation, and cultural impact of food.
? Eating Culture (1998), Ron Scapp and Brian Seitz, eds. Albany:
SUNY Press.
? Making Sense of Taste: Food and Philosophy (1999), Carolyn Korsmeyer.
Cornell University Press.
? Through the Kitchen Window : Women Writers Explore the Intimate Meanings
of Food and Cooking (1998), Arlene Voski Avakian, ed. New York: Beacon
Press.
? Soul of a Chef: The Journey Towards Perfection (2000), Michael Ruhlman.
New York: Viking.
? In the Year of Meats (1998), Ruth Ozeki.
? We Are What We Eat : Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans (1998),
Donna R. Gabaccia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
? Kitchen Confidential (2000), Anthony Bourdain. The Ecco Press.
? The Man Who Ate Everything (1997), Jeffrey Steingarten. Vintage.
? Wake Up and Cook: Kitchen Buddhism in Words and Recipes (1997), Carole
Tonkinson. Riverhead Books.
? Deep Vegetarianism (1999), Michael Allen Fox. Temple Univ.
Press.
? American Appetite: The Coming of Age of a National Cuisine (1999),
Leslie Brenner. Perennial.
? Whitebread Protestants: Food and Religion in American Culture (2000),
Daniel Sack. St. Martin’s Press.
? We Are What We Ate: 24 Memories of Food (1998). Mark Winegardner,
ed. Harcourt Brace.
? Que Vivan Los Tamales : Food and the Making of Mexican Identity (Dialogos
Series) (1998), Jeffrey M. Pilcher. Albuquerque: University of New
Mexico Press.
? Food and Culture : A Reader (1997), Carole Counihan, Penny Van Esterik,
and Penny Van Esterik, eds. New York: Routledge.
? Consuming Geographies : We Are Where We Eat (1997), David Bell and
Gill Valentine. New York: Routledge
? Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation (1982),
Amartya Sen. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
? Against the Grain: Biotechnology and the Corporate Takeover of Your
Food (1998), Marc Lappe and Britt Baily, Maine: Common Courage Press
? The Biotech Century (1998), Jeremy Rifkin, New York: Putnam
Section I: Food, Culture, and Identity
Week 2 (Aug 30): Tefler, chap 1-3
Week 3 (Sept 6): Tefler, chap 4-6
Week 4 (Sept 13): Kass, selections from Curtin
**Week 5 (Monday, Sept 17, seminar 4-6pm, dinner, 7:30pm LM 140):
Merry White
Week 5 (Sept 20): Kass, selections from Curtin
**Week 6 (Sept 27, seminar, dinner, 7:30pm LM 140: Tom Nolan
(First Paper Due.)
Section II: Food, Ethics, and Social Justice
Week 7 (Oct 4: No Class in lieu of Sept 20)
**Week 8 (Oct 11: seminar, then 5pm Accolti Room, dinner, 7:30p ML250)
Richard Steven Street
Week 9 (Oct 18): Ethics of Food: hunger problems, distribution
Week 10 (Oct 25): Vegetarianism (ethics, environment, and other debates)
(Second Paper Due)
Section III: Food and Our World, Our Future (one to two speakers)
Week 11 (Nov 1): Food and the environment
**Week 12 (Nov 8: seminar, dinner, 7:30p ML250) Harvey Stone
Week 13 (Nov 15): Biotechnology debates
**Week 14 (Monday, Nov 19. 4pm seminar, dinner, 7:30p ML 250) Darra
Goldstein
Week 15 (Nov 29): Summary and Final Discussions
Final Paper Due: Thursday, December 13, 4pm.