The goal of this class is to gain an understanding of the biological and cultural basis of human diet and food habits. Geographic variability in food habits and diet across the globe are the result of unique forces of biology, environment, history, and culture in the development of nutritional patterns. In addition, food and the rules regarding its consumption are among the strongest symbolic elements of culture. Therefore, the integration of both biology and culture is foremost in nutritional anthropological studies.
We examine a broad range of literature from anthropological theory, biological anthropology, archaeology, historical anthropology, and modern field studies to understand the evolution of the human diet, human diet through ancient and modern times, the collection of nutritional data, and modern challenges to the study of culture and nutrition.
The course is structured as a graduate seminar in which weekly participation and discussion are critical. I will present a brief overview of the weeks topic followed by student presentations and discussion.