This course studies the ways in which people organize eating. Topics include dieting, addiction, fat, religious rituals, health, body images, and great recipes. Our mass media carry our most popular ideas. This course stresses structural genre study and features an unblinking look at some of the most controversial elements of our shared culture. It's not for the faint of heart.
Themes vary by term.
Diversity of people gives creativity and strength to U.S. society, but also the most passionate conflicts and acute suffering of many of our citizens. This course will examine a number of racial and ethnic groups including African Americans, American Indians, Latinos, and Asian Americans, to determine the major patterns of conflict and accommodation with the dominant culture. We will use social science perspectives to gain insight into the personal, group, and larger social structural issues related to ethnicity and ethnic violence and cleansing. We will see how we can reduce racial and ethnic tensions and discrimination, and enjoy and celebrate our diversity. All societies have religion, and all depend upon it for solidarity.