EGMT 1530: Food for Thought

Imagine a platter brimming with diverse tastes and textures—an invitation to engage deeply with food. Eating involves all five senses; through touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight, we experience pleasure, memory, hesitation, novelty—and begin to think beyond food itself. Food sustains life, and its absence can bring suffering or death. But food is also a foundation of culture and identity. In this course, we will think with food, examining how it reflects and shapes difference. Food marks class, religion, gender, and status, with meanings that shift across time and place. We will explore how food cultures create and reinforce societal boundaries, while also offering opportunities for connection, resistance, and change. Thinking with food becomes a powerful tool for understanding identity, culture, and society.