ENGH 202: Texts and Contexts

ENGH 202-024: Food and Folklore
(Fall 2019)

07:20 PM to 10:00 PM W

Krug Hall 7

Section Information for Fall 2019

“Folklore is the boiled-down juice of human living.”

-Zora Neale Hurston

“Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell you what you are.”

-Anselme Brillat-Savarin

Students will examine the cultural contexts behind the food we eat (and the food we don’t). Through examining definitions, reading online resources and articles, and observing the Folklore of Food all around them, you will gain an appreciation for this fascinating subject that we all depend on for survival, yet we often take for granted. The course work is intended to help you step outside yourself and examine your perceptions of food have been shaped by taste, class, experience, culture, and gender. This course will make you ask questions, challenge preconceived notions and think critically about the role of food in human society.

Course Objectives

  • Explore a wide variety of writing styles related to Foodways: from menus, blogs, cookbooks, fiction, personal experience narratives, and food histories – expanding what students are familiar with.
  • Learn to define and recognize the cultural significance of Foodways and folk traditions in your own life and in the world around you, and develop a great understanding of the multiple meanings behind foods.
  • Learn the basics of field collection and how to interview and transcribe a food narrative, as well as analyze the process.
  • Develop skills to present information to classmates in an interesting and engaging way.
  • Learn to analyze examples of folklore and their contexts, and be able to explain the relevance of folklore within the modern world and to your own life.
  • Keep a written journal of observations on your reading and examples of Foodways from your own experience; learning thick description through food observation assignments “in the field”; experimenting with transcription styles; and a final short paper focused on a specific aspect of Foodway.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Studies literary texts within the framework of culture. Examines texts within such categories as history, gender, sexuality, religion, race, class, and nation. Notes: Builds on reading and writing skills taught in ENGH 101. May be repeated within the term.
Mason Core: Literature
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Recommended Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100-level English.
Schedule Type: Lec/Sem #1, Lec/Sem #2, Lec/Sem #3, Lec/Sem #4, Lec/Sem #5, Lec/Sem #6, Lec/Sem #7, Lec/Sem #8, Lec/Sem #9, Lecture, Sem/Lec #10, Sem/Lec #11, Sem/Lec #12, Sem/Lec #13, Sem/Lec #14, Sem/Lec #15, Sem/Lec #16, Sem/Lec #17, Sem/Lec #18
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.