Students
ANTH2003 – Food Across Cultures
2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor, Lecturer, Tutor
Eve Vincent
Contact via Email
25WW B220
By appointment
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(ANTH150 or ANTH1050) or (40cp at 1000 level or above
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
We all eat. But what, when, how, how much and with whom we eat is bound up with questions of cultural difference, gender and power. The study of food, eating and hunger has long held a particular fascination for anthropologists--from subsistence strategies to nutritional intake, from food taboos to the social rules that structure how people eat together. This unit introduces the idea that the everyday activities of cooking and eating are packed with economic, medical, political, and cultural meanings. We will focus on some classic anthropological work on eating as a social practice. Then we move to the concerns of contemporary anthropology, examining issues such as the global industrial food system, and the link between migration, ethnic identity and food. Throughout this unit we are concerned with everyday eating practices, exploring the extraordinary variety of food likes and dislikes in a range of ethnographic contexts. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Analyse how the everyday activities of food classification, cooking and eating are packed with cultural meanings.
- ULO2: Identify connections between food, globalisation, consumption practices and class, identity and migration.
- ULO3: Analyse the relationship between food, gender and power.
- ULO4: Apply anthropological theory to the study of food-related practices in contemporary Australia.
- ULO5: Demonstrate a command of anthropological knowledge and theories as applied to the study of food and culture.
General Assessment Information
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all non-timed written assessments (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc) is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams/quizzes, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Quizzes | 25% | No | Weekly, starting Week 1 |
| Participation in Tutorial Discussions or Weekly forums | 15% | No | Weekly, starting Week 2 |
| Observational Task | 25% | No | Sunday May 5, 11:55pm |
| Take home exam | 35% | No | Sunday June 2, 11:55pm |
Weekly Quizzes
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 22 hours
Due: Weekly, starting Week 1
Weighting: 25%
Online Weekly Quizzes
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse how the everyday activities of food classification, cooking and eating are packed with cultural meanings.
- Identify connections between food, globalisation, consumption practices and class, identity and migration.
- Analyse the relationship between food, gender and power.
Participation in Tutorial Discussions or Weekly forums
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Weekly, starting Week 2
Weighting: 15%
Active participation in either weekly tutorials or Weekly Forums
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse how the everyday activities of food classification, cooking and eating are packed with cultural meanings.
- Identify connections between food, globalisation, consumption practices and class, identity and migration.
- Analyse the relationship between food, gender and power.
- Demonstrate a command of anthropological knowledge and theories as applied to the study of food and culture.
Observational Task
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Sunday May 5, 11:55pm
Weighting: 25%
This short reflective assessment tasks requires you to observe and describe something to do with food and culture in contemporary Australia.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply anthropological theory to the study of food-related practices in contemporary Australia.
Take home exam
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Sunday June 2, 11:55pm
Weighting: 35%
Take home exam covering unit content
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse how the everyday activities of food classification, cooking and eating are packed with cultural meanings.
- Identify connections between food, globalisation, consumption practices and class, identity and migration.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Unit readings are available via Leganto and iLearn.
Unit Schedule
| WEEK | TOPIC |
| 1 | Commensality |
| 2 | Taste and taboo |
| 3 | Cannibals? |
| 4 | Gender |
| 5 | Cooking and kitchens |
| 6 | Entanglements |
| 7 | Fast food |
| 8 | Slow food |
| 9 | The climate crisis and the future of food |
| 10 | Class and taste |
| 11 | Hunger |
| 12 | Eating the continent |
| 13 | Revision |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Student Support
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- Workshops
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- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
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IT Help
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Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook