Program Overview
Program Overview
Food production, preparation, and consumption involve discourses that range from food as a marker of cultural identity to socially controversial issues such as economic globalization, local economic development and empowerment, sustainability, and the health of individuals and communities. This is especially meaningful in the case of Italy, a location where the relationship with food is a staple of lifestyle and cultural identity, both from within the country and in the construction of Italian identity in the eyes of the world. During this seminar, we’ll explore the economic, political, social, and cultural significance of food from a number of disciplinary perspectives. We’ll begin with the idea that Italian food, and the “Mediterranean diet,” while being profoundly localized in the characteristics of the natural environment and culturally specific, has been translated into global cultural discourse and cultural capital. We’ll subsequently analyze how Italian and Mediterranean food culture is articulated in its regional variations, as well as in its hybridizations, and how these articulations impact socioeconomic realities.
Program Activities
Program Activities
The seminar is organized as a consistent blend of lectures by scholars from multiple disciplines, including anthropology, public health, literature, and dietetics, along with activities that provide concrete insights into the topics discussed. Among the latter will be explorations of the regions where products are grown, meetings with producers and ethical consumption groups, cooking activities with local professional chefs, and tastings.
The seminar will also offer time for debriefing and group reflection as well as strategic elaboration on the seminar topics for the purposes of curriculum building and development of future research directions. These discussions will involve both seminar participants and local actors such as faculty, experts, and activists.
Program Objectives
Program Objectives
During this seminar, participants will:
- Develop a broader and deeper understanding of the role of food in the creation of Italian identity and its diversity.
- Explore both the materials and symbolic implications of food practices in Italy, the Mediterranean, and beyond.
- Explore the impact of Italian cuisine and food–ways on global food culture.
- Gain insight into and a working knowledge of the major principles and concepts of the slow food movement and globalization.
Seminar Locations
Seminar Locations
Based in Ferrara and Naples, Italy; participants fly into Ferrara and out of Naples.