Faculty Advisor: Professor of Global Liberal Studies, New York University in Paris

Program Start Time: TBD (meetings will take place for around one hour per week)

Research Practicum Introduction

This program delves into the intricate social and cultural dimensions of food, taste, and territory, shedding light on how these elements shape social relations and individual identities. Through an exploration of food rituals, preparation methods, and the act of eating, students gain insight into cultural history and contemporary political and social dynamics. We examine the role of food in ethnic diversity, cultural capital, authenticity, national identity, and ecological sustainability. Key questions pondered include the relationship between food and collective memory, intercultural communication, taste, place, smell, and memory, as well as the reproduction of social hierarchies and class distinctions.

Students will develop a solid understanding of social scientific methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of food, identity, and power. They will critically analyze the impacts of globalization on food production and consumption, engage with policy debates surrounding food security, poverty, famine, and food waste, and explore the nuances of intercultural dialogue. This program equips students with theoretical tools to dissect cultural phenomena and navigate complex social and political landscapes, fostering intercultural competency and a critical analytical lens that extends to various professional domains.

In preparing students for future college studies and careers, this program cultivates a deep understanding of intercultural politics, migration, religion, material culture, and power dynamics. By honing critical thinking skills and fostering an appreciation for cultural diversity, students are equipped to navigate global challenges and contribute meaningfully to their future endeavors, whether intellectual pursuits or real-world applications.

Standards of Assessment

To excel, students must: 

• Come to each session prepared to discuss the readings. 

• Be proactive and genuinely engaged with the materials

• Develop a research project for the final paper

Possible Topics For Final Project

• Migrant Pathways – Food, Politics, and “Integration”

• Food in the history of colonialism and imperialism

• Taxonomies – the sacred and the profane, the raw and the cooked

• Are you what you eat? Unpack this question from a political and anthropological perspective.

• Food, Sensory Experience, and Memory

• Framing food as a human right

• Food and Power – Class hierarchy and consumption

• Perform a critical analysis of a food advertisement

• Food, Ecology, and Sustainable food systems

• Political debates on Halal food in Europe

• Epidemiology and processed/industrialized foods 

• Animal Rights and Animal Ethics

• Food and “the taste of home”/Food and cosmopolitanism

• Ritual, Commensality, and the construction of the Social

• Food, Nation, Identity

• Food as resistance

• Ethnographies of markets, restaurants, and food sites

Program Detail

• Cohort Size: 3-5 students

• Duration: 12 weeks

• Workload: Around 4-5 hours per week (including class time and homework time)

• Target Students: 9-12th grade students who are interested in Humanities, Social Sciences, Anthropology, Sociology, Political Theory, Cultural Studies, Policy Studies, History or related fields.

• Prerequisite: A general background in the humanities and the social sciences.