Here at SAFN we seem to be in the midst of a great rethinking of the ways in which we teach about food and culture. Which makes sense — interest in food and related issues is growing rapidly in anthropology and in other disciplines and we have seen the development of many new interdisciplinary programs in food studies. We are, therefore, pleased to announce the publication of a new book on this very topic. “Teaching Food and Culture,” (Left Coast Press) edited by Candice Lowe Swift and Richard Wilk, is a collection of twelve chapters by anthropologists focusing on strategies they use when teaching about food. Hopefully, we will be able to publish a review of this collection in the near future. In the spirit of full disclosure, many of the people involved in this project are SAFN members and one chapter was co-written by SAFN board members David Sutton (our glorious nominations chair) and David Beriss (your blog co-editor). Meanwhile, here is a blurb about the book from the publisher’s web site, which you can visit to learn more.
“With the rapid growth and interest in food studies around the U.S. and globally, the original essays in this one-of-a-kind volume aid instructors in expanding their teaching to include both the latest scholarship and engage with public debate around issues related to food. The chapters represent the product of original efforts to develop ways to teach both with and about food in the classroom, written by innovative instructors who have successfully done so. It would appeal to community college and university instructors in anthropology and social science disciplines who currently teach or want to develop food-related courses.”
And here is the table of contents.
Part 1: Teaching Food
Chapter 1: Introduction: Teaching With and Through Food, Candice Lowe Swift and Richard Wilk
Chapter 2: Interview with Sidney Mintz, Candice Lower Swift and Richard Wilk
Chapter 3: Relating Research to Teaching about Food, Penny van Esterik
Part 2: Nutrition and Health
Chapter 4: Teaching Obesity: Stigma, Structure, and Self, Alexandra Brewis, Amber Wutich, Deborah Williams
Chapter 5: Are We What Our Ancestors Ate? Introducing Students to the Evolution of Human Diet, Jeanne Sept
Chapter 6: Just Milk? Nutritional Anthropology and the Single Food Approach, Andrew Wiley
Part 3: Food Ethics and the Public
Chapter 7: Teaching the Experience and Ethics of Consumption and Food Supply, Peter Benson
Chapter 8: Ethnography of Farmers Markets: Studying Culture, Place, and Food Democracy, Carole Counihan
Chapter 9: Using Volunteer Service in Courses about Food, Janet Chrzan
Part 4: Food, Identity, and Consumer Society
Chapter 10: Teaching Restaurants, David Sutton and David Beriss
Chapter 11: Developing Pedagogies for the Anthropology of Food, Brian Stross
Chapter 12: Teaching Communication and Language with Food, Amber O’Connor
FoodAnthropology 