Semester Course

FSST/HIST/SOC 350: The History and Culture of Food in Italy

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Course Description
In the last twenty years, historians have turned with ever more interest to food as a key for understanding the past. Italy is particularly interesting in this respect. Modern Italian identity is based, in large part, on food. Many Italian ‘staples’, including ice cream, olive oil, pasta, pizza, risotto, and wine, have interesting stories that give insights into Italian culture and history. Our historical review will look at Italian food in prehistory, antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and more recent times.

This four-credit class will feature not only more conventional power-point based lectures, but also an extensive schedule of field trips and food tastings. You will gain a deeper understanding into Italy’s modern food culture with a series of seven food tastings, each a kind of culinary practicum that combines history and biochemistry with sampling a wide variety of foods or beverages. The food products that are the subject of the tastings are coffee, wine, olive oil, bread, gelato, and cheese.

Course Objectives
– Have a solid understanding of the role of food in Italian culture
– Gain understanding of the emerging discipline of ‘food history’
– Have an idea of the general sweep of Italian history
– Have come into intimate contact with primary historical sources assessing them in both class discussions and their writing

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader

Field Trips
– Day trip to Florence to visit a market, take part in a historical cooking class, and explore an ancient pharmacy to learn about medicinal characteristics of food
– At his agriturismo home in Città di Castello, Matteo Bartolini will lead you on a truffle hunt day trip.
– You will travel to Parma and Modena for a three-day field trip where they will tour an authentic Parmesan cheese cooperative, learn how balsamic vinegar is made, and see the process of making prosciutto.

Semester Course

ENV/FSST/SOC 330: Sustainable Food Production in Italy: Local Traditions and Global Transformations

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Course Description
There are more than six billion humans on the planet and, consequently, there is a growing need for ever-higher food production that is contributing to faster use of non-renewable fossil fuels and environmental degradation. What modes of food production and consumption may be viable, sustainable responses to this problem? What are some alternative models of food production? What can we learn from Italian food cultures in terms of sustainability?

This course focuses on the radical increase in food production over the last decades and the ecological and social problems it has created, as well as on some possible solutions: the organic movement, Slow Food, and the shift towards local food. We will cast a critical eye on these movements and analyze their ability to change the trajectory of the global food production system.

Course Objectives
In this course, you will:
– consider the complex interplay of social and political factors in food policies;
– analyze the whole chain of production, distribution, and consumption of food between various foods to determine their sustainability; and
– compare alternative food movements in Italy and the States.

Service Learning Project Description
You will help create the new Umbra sustainability synergistic orto, a type of organic gardening that uses plants that naturally protect and nourish each other. The Umbra orto is located in Perugia at a residency for individuals with mental health challenges where horticulture therapy is used as a technique to enhance their quality of life and generate positive emotions and social interactions. You will help with seasonal tasks, including tilling the soil; planting herbs, vegetables, and flowers; and harvesting. At the end of the semester, you will present your project to the Umbra community.

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader in addition to James McWilliams’ Just Food

Field Trip
– Trip to a sustainable butcher in Tuscany, Dario Cecchini

Semester Course

ANTH/FSST/SOC 375: The Anthropology of Food

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Course Description
This course will address food-related issues from an anthropological perspective. It will examine the role that food plays in shaping: group and personal identities, ethnicities in a global world, religious and cultural boundaries through taboos, avoidances, rituals, and the revitalization of local communities. Through readings assignments and ethnographic research in different settings, students will explore how “food traditions” and “local food” are maintained and transformed over time and space, and how culinary knowledge is used by people to mark cultural and social differences. The course will focus on food as heritage through an analysis of culinary tourism, food in urban settings, the culture of restaurants, and UNESCO protection of “endangered” diets. Furthermore, it will apply gendered perspectives on the body, and analyze power dynamics in Italian families through food consumption and preparation. Students will study food as a site of cultural transmission, but also of dissent and resistance. The course incorporates a semester-long ethnographic project on food producers and restaurants in Umbria. Through these exercises in qualitative research, students will become active participants in the local community and engage in original research in and out the classroom. 

Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
– increase their understanding of how individual food behaviors are shaped by the foodways of their society;
– learn to approach cultural differences with an unbiased framework;
– increase their knowledge of Italian culture through the examination of the food practices of individuals and communities;
– be able to recognize the cultural, political, and economic value of food; and
– recognize the efforts behind organizations and museums that promote and develop food-related cultural events.

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader

Field Trips
– Excursions to typical Perugian restaurants and food artisans.

Semester Course

BUS/COMM/FSST 355: Wine & Olive Oil: Marketing and Communication Strategies

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Course Description
This course offers an overview of the most important marketing theories and techniques as applied to the Italian wine and olive oil industry, with a special focus on companies promoting sustainable production. Students will explore Italian and American markets, consumer segments, company communication strategies, and opportunities related to food tourism. By examining successful case studies, students will learn how to develop a brand reputation strategy. In addition, students will participate in a practical project designed to give them the opportunity to shape a marketing plan for an Umbrian wine or olive oil company.

Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• understand the basic role, processes, and purpose of strategic brand management in the sustainable wine and olive oil business;
• analyze marketing concepts of segmentation, targeting, and positioning as they relate to food consumers;
• evaluate differences between conventional and sustainable products;
• set up a communication plan; and
• acquire skills to implement food tourism initiatives.

Please Note:
This is not a tasting course. Wine and olive oil are utilized in very small amounts and for academic purposes.

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader

Activities
Students will take two day trips to visit a winery and an olive oil company, tour the facilities, have tastings, and discuss the companies’ operations with the owners.

Semester Course

FSST/GSCI 250: The Science of Italian Food

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Course Description

Students will learn and test basic scientific concepts through the broad lens of food. Scientific concepts will be derived from various scientific fields such as biology, microbiology, and chemistry. Students will examine various processes for preparing and storing food, such as fermentation and preserving, in historical contexts. The course has both a classroom and a lab component. Students will alternate between learning scientific processes in a classroom setting and doing experiments in the didactic kitchen. Improving the sustainability of food production and food systems will be discussed throughout the course. In this course, students will engage with peer-reviewed literature and will analyze and disseminate the results of scientific studies. The overall goal is to learn about the interconnectivity of science, culture and the environment through the exploration of basic food processes. No prior scientific knowledge is necessary for this course.

Semester Course

ENV/FSST/SOC 320: Water Resources: Environment, Society and Power

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Course Description
This course will confront water related issues through a combination of discourses including anthropology, food studies, and environmental sciences. It will explore the central role of water in human civilization, both past and present, and consider the future implications of our current water use trajectories. Course modules will address the functioning of ecosystems and the well being of the environment, industries and the economy, agriculture and food production, and recreation and tourism. This course aims to recognize ways in which water influences our lives and to explore the entangled interdependencies and linkages between water and human activities. The course will take a critical look at water sustainability through various lenses including food systems, terrestrial and marine resources and other industries. Subjects will begin at international levels before narrowing to national, regional, and local levels in Italy. Throughout the course, students will be asked to analyze their personal water footprints and explore ways to minimize personal water usage, and consider strategies for broader water conservation efforts.

Learning will be guided using diverse methods: lectures with in-depth discussions, a service learning and community outreach project, and a field trip to Lake Trasimeno. Through the outreach and service learning project, students will refine qualitative research methods as well as be asked to consider the ethical implications of research on human subjects.

Course Objectives:
This course will ask students to:
– Understand the interdependencies and inter-linkages between water and trade, development, and the environment;
– Identify inter-linkages between energy, food, land use, and water;
– Analyse and compare the cultural and biological significance of water;
– Examine the political use of water;
– Explore how water use has shaped Italy and Italian culture;
– Develop innovative strategies for promoting sustainable water use in one or more areas of land use, food and energy, including at the consumer level.

Service Learning Research Project Description
Students in this course will collaborate with POST Science Center (Perugia Officina della Scienza e della Tecnologia). The POST Director and students will develop and lead an interactive scientific laboratory and discussion in English for Italian high school students in order to explore the water footprint and the long-term sustainability of a watershed.

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader

Semester Course

ENG/FSST 325: From Literature to Social Media: Reading and Writing Italian Food

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Course Description
This hybrid literature/creative writing/theory course will examine the role of food in Italian and Italian-American literature. It will analyze women’s issues in relation to the narration of food and the importance of food during war times, especially in extreme situations, such as displacement and bombardments. As the Italian words sapore (taste) and sapere (knowledge) share a common root: *sap-, which means not only “to taste”, but also “to research” and “to be wise”, this course will consider how the preparation, production, and consumption of food intersect with wisdom and (self)knowledge in literature and culture. By examining excerpts from some of the most important works in recent Italian literature as well as select writings from Italian American women authors, you will examine the historical, social, and symbolic value of food while focusing on the development of cultural, national, and individual/feminist identity.

In this course, you will find your own voices in the form of fiction and non-fiction creative writing assignments. You will demonstrate an understanding of literary devices, figures of speech, and sound patterns through actual use in writing. Through your own writings, you will demonstrate an understanding of the conventions of the various literary genre, such as plot, narrative voice, setting, characterization, and description.

In order to hone your skills both as readers and as writers of narrative, this course will also discuss the principal issues in narratology and narrative theory.

Course Objectives
This course will stress close reading of selected texts and stimulate creativity and critical thought in an academic environment. Careful attention will be given to choice of language, historical, and political implications, as well as the overall “message” of the work.

By the end of this course, you will:
– have a good understanding of the principles of narratology and narrative theory;
– have initiated, researched, and written short pieces of original writing ranging from poetry to fictional and non-fictional short stories;
– become aware of the connections between creativity, structure, and discipline;
– have analyzed texts by major writers in contemporary Italian literature;
– have expanded their critical understanding of major contemporary women authors;
– have analyzed several pieces of writings by Italian-American women authors;
– have worked with non-traditional literary texts; and
– be able to discuss the specific course topic critically and confidently.

Service Learning Project Description
In this course, you will first collaborate with SapereFood, an online magazine dedicated to sharing the Umbrian agricultural traditions and food producers’ narratives with consumers. You will meet with the producers and participate in tastings of Umbrian products, which will serve as the basis for one of the course’s creative writing assignments. The collection of student stories will then be published on the SapereFood webpage section titled ‘Umbra Diaries’. You will then transform your experience during the visits into a children’s story on food in both English and Italian. To conclude the project, you will share your creative piece at “Apriti, scuola!”, a weekly multi-lingual children’s reading hosted by “Il Castello Rotondo” Elementary School. At the end of the semester, you will present your work to the Umbra community.

Course Materials
– Elena Ferrante My Brilliant Friend

A Reader of selected narrative including texts from:
– Italo Calvino Under the Jaguar Sun (short story)
– Carlo Collodi Pinocchio
– Natalia Ginzburg The Mother
– After the War: A Selection of Short Fiction by Postwar Italian Women. King, Martha (ed.)
– The Milk of Almonds: Italian American Women Writers on Food and Culture. Giunta, Edvige and Louise DeSalvo (eds.)
– New Italian Women: A Collection of Short Fiction. King, Martha (ed.)

Other Courses

Optional Electives

Students participating in the Food & Sustainability Studies Program are also eligible to add one additional elective from Umbra’s course offerings.

Click here to view Spring Courses.

Click here to view Fall Courses.

Click here to view Summer Courses.

Semester Course

IR 499: Independent Research

Qualified students participating in the FSSP can apply to the Scholars Program. Those students take the two core courses and then complete an independent research project for IR 499. This track requires a short proposal to the FSSP faculty coordinator and the Scholars coordinator before the semester begins. For more information, contact Dr. Elgin Eckert ([email protected]) and Dr. Elisa Ascione ([email protected]).

IR 499 Advanced Research Project (1-4 credits)

The Independent Research course is a student-centered learning experience in which you engage in advanced research on your selected topic with the support of a faculty mentor. It is ideal for students who have previously studied a particular topic and would like to continue exploring it in more depth through individual research. Independent Research courses may vary depending on student interests and needs. They are assigned an appropriate disciplinary code and the appropriate academic level depending on the nature of the specific research project.

Summer Course

FSST/SOC 356: The Culture of Wine: Italy and Beyond

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Course Description
What is wine? We know it is a beverage, but it is also much more: it is the product of thousands of years of culture, and it is a way of life, especially in Italy. This is what students will learn about in this class, which includes learning wine’s intriguing and paradoxical history, how it is made, its etiquette, how to taste it, how to pair it with food, and how it is an intrinsic part of Italian—and other—cultures, here in the region of Umbria known for some of the most outstanding wines in Italy. The course includes field trips to some of Umbria’s best wineries, often family owned companies, where students can cultivate their wine-tasting skills and learn to celebrate another culture. No knowledge of Italian is necessary.

Course Objectives
– To develop a knowledge of wine history
– To develop a knowledge of how wine is made
– To develop a knowledge of wine tasting
– To learn to appreciate the importance of wine and food as central to understanding Italian cooking.

Course Materials
Mandatory course reader

Summer Course

ENG/FSST 345: Writing Italian Food

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Course Description
This exciting class combines the history and customs of food, olive oil, and wine in Perugia and the surrounding region, with food writing and travel. We start by exploring the history of Italian food and wine, but with a specific focus on Perugia and the wider Umbrian area. Each week is a different concentration/combination of historical moment and type of food, such as the history of pizza, the origin of the aperitivo, the arrival in Italy of coffee, tomatoes, chocolate, and more. In conjunction with this historical approach, the class includes visits to restaurants, vineyards, cheese-makers, and olive groves in and near Perugia. You will keep a food blog, and will have the opportunity to do a book review for a local magazine.

Course Objectives
The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the intricate and surprising history of regional foods in Italy as you learn the importance of food as a mode of identity-formation in Perugia, Italy, and, by extrapolation, your own families. Our focus on writing and the analysis of others’ written word will teach you how to become not just great food writers, but informed and discerning writers in general.

Course Material
Available electronically; links will be provided in course syllabus