This working group seeks to build an interdisciplinary community of scholars who are passionate about food studies. We encourage anyone from the Yale community to attend, but discussions will be particularly geared towards the humanities and social sciences. In this working group, we will: (1) inquire into the social construction of taste, the politics of food, gendered experiences of food, and the relationship between food and community, (2) seek to understand and evaluate the transformation of food systems at local and global levels, (3) use food as a lens for understanding the implications of our actions on the natural environment, and (4) learn through direct engagement with our surroundings by organizing events such as visits to the Yale Farm, heritage apple tastings, and raw milk cheese tastings.
The working group meets every other Friday from 3-4 pm during the academic year. We will alternate the format of our meetings. Each month a speaker from the Yale community will give a talk or present work in progress to the group. During the second meeting of the month, we will follow one of several formats, including: discussing an author, theory or published work; providing professional training (e.g. a food studies syllabus workshop); or hosting an interactive event centered around a specific food or site in New Haven. If you are interested in presenting your work or have questions about the working group, please contact Jennifer Gaddis at jennifer.gaddis@yale.edu.
