HIST 360 – History & Culture of Italian Food Course: A Comparative Analysis

In this course we will examine the relationship between food, culture and identity in Italy through a variety of readings, discussions, outdoor activities and tasting experiences. We will trace the historical evolution of Italian food culture in a world history perspective focusing on the many global influences which over the centuries have shaped the use of different food products, preparation methods, consumption patterns, i.e. the Italian approach towards food, as well as on the many ways in which Italy itself has become a dynamic factor in the process of culinary globalization. We will look at food in its social and cultural context through a multi-disciplinary approach — history, anthropology, sociology, and geography. A major focus will be on understanding the extraordinary importance of food in the definition of “Italianness” from both an Italian and an international (i.e., American) perspective. We will explore the foodscape of Florence, and go on a field trip to the Tuscan countryside.

• to understand the relevance of an interdisciplinary approach to studying food,
• to be familiar with the historical and social construction of taste,
• to have developed an understanding of food as a most fundamental cultural aspect of Italian society,
• to have enhanced your academic skills of critical analysis, literature reviews and oral presentation