Food Studies and

Politics
Level 1
Semester 1
Elective
EN 117
Dr Nahed Eissam
nahedessamissa@gmail.co
m
What does the apple mean to you?

What does it mean in this context?

What do you think the course is
about?
Course Objective
▪ This course focuses on the broad topic of food and its impact on culture.
As students of literature, we cannot overlook the impact of food on the
different genres of literature, on history, on the environment, on
politics, on economy and on almost all walks of life.
▪ Through this interdisciplinary course, students take as objects of study
the process of food preparation, consumption and disposal and their
direct and indirect effect on culture. They examine how consumption
and food production practices iterate identities and social relations; and
explore the class, gender and racial performativity(functionality, effect)
of meals, restaurants and other food events.
▪
 What is the importance of FOOD?
Biologically
We cannot live without food.
However, we are concerned here with food and its direct and indirect relation to
different layers of life and living.
DAILY LIFE
Food is undeniably related to politics, economies, wars, industries, religions and
indeed social gatherings.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Food can be a source of security and a source of insecurity, of happiness and
tragedy, of satisfaction and unsatisfaction, of war and peace.
CULTURE
It is a means of preserving culture, as well as a way of preserving symbols
of memory, emotions as well as history and politics of power
▪ Culture:

▪ The
ideas, customs, and social behaviour of
a particular people, or society
Psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists
were amongst the first scholars to relate what one
eats to ‘who’ and ‘why’ one is and ‘where’ and ‘when’
one stands.
Let’s set the Table
▪ Let’s start with a question………..What is the first
“known” and unanimously agreed upon story related
to a food item in all the three heavenly religions namely
Judaism, Christianity and Islam? What is the “food
story” that changed the face of humanity and that
represents the first and foremost and strongest conflict
and confrontation between good and evil? What is the
“food story” whose repercussions are still effective till
this very day?
▪ Another question for meditation: How is food related to
memory? Think back and list down 10 different food
items and the memory that is related to these food items.
Try to describe the food and the situation and the feeling
in detail.

Food Item Situation Feelings

3
Compare between the Common grounds Differences
content of your table and
the table of your colleague
and note the similarities
and differences. Comment
on the instances of
agreement and difference.
Food Studies is a
burgeoning(flourishing)
interdisciplinary ( relating to more than
one branch of Knowledge)politicized
field of scholarship, practice and art
that examines the relationship
between food and all aspects of the
human experience, including culture
and biology, individuals and society,
Which countries
or cultures do
these food items
remind you of?
Which countries or cultures do these
food items remind you of?
Which countries or cultures do these
food items remind you of?
Which countries or
cultures do these food
items remind you of?
Which countries or
cultures do these food
items remind you of?
Which countries or
cultures do these
food items remind
you of?