Learning objectives
Expected learning outcomes: critical knowledge of the disciplinary main notions and aspects.
Knowledge and comprehension: oriented towards a critical analysis of the information discussed in class; contextualization of the discussed topics within the interdisciplinary field of social sciences and understanding of the interdisciplinary crossings.
Ability to apply knowledge and comprehension: authonomous and critical use of the research instruments and of the geographical-historical notions discussed in class and explained in the texts.
Authonomy in judgment: this is the overall main objective of the course, with a particular reference to the acquisition of a critical consciousness of the spatial and territorial aspects related to food.
Communicative abilities: acquisition of a critical, though not necessarily technical, language, which allows to distinguish and discuss the characteristics of a phenomenon beyond the simplifications and the generalizations produced by mediascapes.
Learning capacity: proportional to individual abilities.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
The course will be devoted, in the occasion of the 2015 EXPO that takes place in the city of Milan, to the cultural geography of food. Geography studies the relationship between the spatial dimension and the production, distribution and consume of food. The cultural geography approach, specifically, studies the perception of the complex relationships between territories and food, the relations between promotional images of the territory and food imageries, the role of food consumption as a socio-cultural marker.
The course will start with a general introduction to the geography of food, and then will offer a synthetic analysis of the production, distribution and consumption of food in the world.
In the second part the course will offer critical perspectives on the relations between territorial images, tourism marketing and food marketing, taking also into consideration specific case studies.
During the course, in order to make the students understand the intrinsic interdsciplinary nature of the so called food studies, guest lecturers from other disciplines will intervene with talks and presentations, suggesting the complexity and complementarity of several different approaches to food and nutrition.
Full programme
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Bibliography
- Felipe FERNÁNDEZ–ARMESTO, Storia del cibo, Milan, Bruno Mondadori, 2012
- Carlo PETRINI, Buono, pulito e giusto.Principî di nuova gastronomia, Turin, Einaudi, 2005
- - Massimo MONTANARI, Il cibo come cultura, Rome-Bari, Laterza, 2004
- Andrea SEGRÈ, Alberto GROSSI, Dalla fame alla sazietà, Palermo, Sellerio, 2007
- Notes and xeroxes distributed in class (for those who did not attend classes: Marino NIOLA, Non tutto fa brodo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2012)
Teaching methods
Lectures will present the general interpretative critical coordinates of geography within food studies, through both quantitative and qualitative data and approaches.
Class discussion will be stimulated by the proposition of questions aimed at sharing personal opinions and knowledge related tos epcific topics. This will allow to develop critical attitudes and the authonomy of judgement.
Besides lectures, there will be seminar-oriented sessions, with the help and contribution, also in preparing and leading these meetings, of the students.
Guest lectures will presente lectures through the course.
In the presentation of the both quantitative and qualitative data, we will use Power Point presentations, movie and documentary screenings, visits to specialized web sites, and examples of computer cartography.
Assessment methods and criteria
The final exam will be a oral one. During the exam we will test:
- the ability to illustrate in a clear way, with a proper language, the main critical and contextual notions discussed in class and explained in the written texts; a specific importance will be given to logical and communicative abilities
- the knowledge of the geo-historical contexts of the phenomena that were analysed and discussed in class (through questions during the student's presentation)
The pass/fail divide is defined by the presence of both these parameters:
a. demonstration of having carefully read the textbooks
b. development of a critical research itinerary on the discussed topics, with the related ability in creating and proposing personal contributions and critiques
Other information
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