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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "SOSC/ITS 220-2"
COURSE NAME: "Italian Food Culture"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2022
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
James Schwarten
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 10:00AM 11:15AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Italy's deep-rooted network of local food knowledge is an excellent example for students to understand what food culture is, how food scenarios changed with industrialization, and how they are evolving further today. This course presents students with the basic tools necessary for better understanding Italian food culture. Its broad perspective encompasses traditional farming and processing techniques, the industrial and global food economy and changing consumption habits. Its anthropological approach draws from classical and modern writing. Italy is world-famous for its produce diversity and vibrant peasant traditions. By exploring the complex set of influences forming the Italian food culture, students will acquire an analytical approach enabling them to read through the other "foodscapes" that they encounter in their home country or abroad, and eventually choose, value and embrace career paths into the food sector. Even apparently simple, everyday food staples contain layers of significance connecting to the following topics: the peculiar man-nature relationship needed for their production; preserving and cooking techniques; the influences from foreign cooking philosophies and/or crops; the pressure of the global market; and the type of socialization involved during the meal.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course explores the formation of Italian food culture, contextualizing it into the broader framework of ecological and nutritional dilemmas confronted throughout history. It focuses on each stream of influence that contributed to the contemporary picture of Italian cuisine. Students are first introduced to the main ways in which humankind accesses food (hunting, foraging, farming, herding and industrial farming). Next, the course explores the raw and cooked, breaking down cooking processes into four main approaches: cooking with fire; cooking in a pot; baking; and fermenting. Each displays different symbolic significance. Students also discover the creative power of scarcity by examining the ways in which the need for preserving foods created the most renowned Italian delicacies, multiplying both gastronomical and nutritional assets. To understand the interdisciplinary value of foods, the course explores some "cultural" Italian staples such as bread, olive oil, cheese and cured pork meat, describing their respective histories, their nutritional features, ecological and social roles. This explanation brings us further into the analysis of Italian food as a complex web of relationships involving the story of farming civilizations and the subsequent streams of influence that contributed to define regional recipes. Students will discover how recent the Italian food identity is and the forces at play in its current shape. The course will raise gender issues from home cooking, usually gendered as female, to the role of professional chefs (largely male) and look at the different forms of commercial catering (hostelries, restaurants, street food and fast food). The contemporary picture shows an unusual revival of the "cucina povera" and a contested concept of "typical" and "local" food involving labeling systems and the idea of "terroir". This topic leads to an investigation of the food chain and especially the social and political role of marketplaces throughout history and the modern retail system. Students will be challenged to explore the issue of food trade, from its history down to the recent debates on globalization.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Develop an understanding of the main Italian foods, such as e.v.o., pasta, cheeses, wine, that enables them to overcome common prejudices or myths and assess the quality of these staples.
2. Recognize the anthropological areas of influence which have contributed to shaping foodways, especially in the Mediterranean area (Middle-Eastern and Greek, Latin/Etruscan, Germanic, Muslim and French).
3. Define what food culture is and how it is related to other aspects of society such as gender, race, class and ethnicity.
4. Locate the history of Italian cuisine within the larger evolution of agriculture and food production.
5. Explain how global processes are reshaping the Italian food system from above and below (such as through international trade, homogenization, traditions and the new farm-to-table movements).
6. Develop research skills by carrying out a paper project, based on high quality bibliographical research as well as some fieldwork techniques, if appropriate. The methods, instruments, and conclusions of the paper will form the basis of an in-class oral presentation.
GRADING SCALE:
94–100 points = A / 90–93.99 = A-
87–89.99 = B+ / 84–86.99 = B / 80–83.99 = B-
77–79.99 = C+ / 74–76.99 = C / 70–73.99 = C-
67–69.99 = D+ / 64–66.99 = D / 60–63.99 = D-
59.99–0 = F
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
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| Participation at mid term | Assessed qualitatively and quantitatively and includes such practices as active participation in class debates/discussions, offering insightful comments and asking pertinent questions, note-taking, and remaining attentive during class meetings. | 5 |
| Participation at end of term | Assessed qualitatively and quantitatively and includes such practices as active participation in class debates/discussions, offering insightful comments and asking pertinent questions, note-taking, and remaining attentive during class meetings. | 5 |
| Midterm Exam | | 20 |
| Final Exam | The Final Exam is cumulative. | 25 |
| Research Paper | Minimum 1500-word research essay on a topic relevant to the course and with at least three academic sources. | 25 |
| Presentation | In-class presentation of the research project. | 10 |
| Quizzes (2) | Each quiz is weighted 5%. | 10 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
You cannot make up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Week
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Focus
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WK 1
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Course introduction, syllabus, goals and expectations. Food and the senses.
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WK 2
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Gastronomy as a field of knowledge
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WK 3
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Food as an indicator of culture
Quiz 1
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WK 4
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Food as an indicator of culture (con’d)
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WK 5
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The invention of cuisine
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WK 6
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Italian cuisine from its origins to the Renaissance
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WK 7
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Italian cuisine from the Enlightenment to unification (Midterm Exam)
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WK 8
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Italian cuisine after unification
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WK 9
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Italian cuisine from fascism through the economic boom
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WK 10
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Viticulture across time and space
Quiz 2
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WK 11
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Student presentations
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WK 12
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Slow Food, Mediterranean Diet; (Research Paper due)
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WK 13
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Course conclusions (Final Exam TBA)
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A detailed syllabus and schedule will be made available on the first day of class.
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