IDOCS 06/07-2
At the November 2, 2006 faculty meeting, IDOCS will move the approval of the Field Supervised Course for the Fall 2007 Term in Asia. Kris MacPherson, Instructor.
Course: Asian Studies 252 Food, Farming and Families in East/SE Asia
Catalog Description:
An interdisciplinary exploration of the production, preparation and consumption of food in Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam. Emphasis on traditional and contemporary practices, including issues of impact on families – from who’s raising the food and how, to what is being eaten and where, with whom. Readings, lectures from local experts, and ethnographic techniques including participant observation will provide insight; students will present findings orally and in written form.
Course Objectives:
From farm or sea to the table: How was food generated traditionally in East and Southeast? Who produces it today? Who prepares it? Where and when is it eaten, and in what kind of groups and settings? What traditions surround it? What policy issues are being generated over food? What important anthropological insights can be gained from studying food cultures in Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam? This interdisciplinary exploration of the production, preparation and consumption of food in Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam will explore traditional and contemporary practices, emphasizing the impact of changing practices on families – from who’s raising the food and how, to what is being eaten and where, with whom. A variety of approaches will be taken including lectures from local experts, participant observation, reading and analysis, and research as possible, and will result in both oral and written presentation of findings. Techniques of oral communication will be taught and practiced using the main subject material and will be reflected substantively in the final grade.
The course will be taught by the Field Supervisor for Term in Asia and is designed both to stand alone as a course and also to supplement both the experiential component of the program and the other academic offerings.
Credit:
Major and Concentration Credit: Asian Studies
General Education: ORC
