College Schools, Departments & Programs

Anthropology

Minor in the Anthropology of Food

The minor in the anthropology of food offers students the opportunity to explore the ways in which food relates to culture and society, economics, globalization, identity, health, and history. Anthropology faculty teach courses that specifically target food and food systems around the world using ethnographic, bioanthropological, archaeological, and linguistic methods and data. The department offers courses concerning the global trade in food products, famine, attitudes about eating and food preparation, ceremonial and symbolic aspects of food production and preparation, and perspectives on food and health in both modern and ancient human populations.

Students must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours in anthropology to include:

  1. At least one course selected from:
    • ANTH-B 200 Bioanthropology
    • ANTH-E 200 Social and Cultural Anthropology
    • ANTH-L 200 Language and Culture
    • ANTH-P 200 Introduction to Archaeology
  2. One of the following:
    • ANTH-A 221 Anthropology of Food
    • ANTH-E 421 Food and Culture
    • Another food-related Anthropology course at the 200 level or above
  3. At least three 300–400 level courses (9 credit hours) on food-related topics. Suitable courses include:
    • ANTH-E 337 Food, Sex, and Gender
    • ANTH-E 426 Coffee Culture, Production, and Markets
    • ANTH-E 485 Art and Craft of Ethnography
    • ANTH-P 375 Food in the Ancient World
    • ANTH-P 380 Prehistoric Diet and Nutrition 
    • ANTH-P 425 Faunal Osteology
    • ANTH-P 426 Problems in Zooarchaeology
    • ANTH-B 400 Undergraduate Seminar
    • ANTH-E 300 Culture Areas and Ethnic Groups
    • ANTH-E 302 Ethnographic Methods
    • ANTH-E 400 Undergraduate Seminar
    • ANTH-L 400 Topical Seminar in the Ethnography of Communication
    • ANTH-P 399 Undergraduate Seminar (can be counted if the focus of the coursework is clearly on food).
  4. Students may count up to 5 credit hours from ANTH-X476, X477, X478, and X490 for projects or work related to the anthropology of food, with approval of the director of undergraduate studies or academic advisor.
In fulfilling the above requirements, students must meet all other College requirements for minors.