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Experiencing Foodscapes: Italy & Spain (EURO30007)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5Off Campus
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Overview
Availability | Winter Term - Off Campus |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Italy and Spain are undoubtedly the culinary epicentres of Southern Europe with food cultures that have intersected repeatedly since Ancient times. In this two-week intensive in-country subject students will learn about the centrality of eating to Italian and Spanish ways of life and consider the relationship between identity, place and food. Through a series of programmed food activities students will explore different facets of Italian and Spanish culinary traditions, from handling food as a material object to understanding its place in a sociocultural context. Students will experience firsthand two of the most important food trends in Italy and Spain and understand how in the absence of a national cuisine slow food in Italy and haute cuisine in Spain function as de facto representations of the food nation in the consciousness of both locals and visitors alike. Both Spain and Italy share robust, enduring and immediately recognizable food traditions. However recent food trends in the two countries seem to suggest the absence of such a historically embedded food culture. Students will be asked to consider the effect of globalization on the current state of these two cuisines.
Students will spend one week in northeast Spain and one week in central Italy with arrival and departure from the countries’ capital cities. Accommodation will be shared. While there is no need to speak Spanish or Italian to complete this subject, special arrangements can be made for languages students.
Intended learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete the subject should:
- have experienced first-hand the relationship between food and identity formation;
- be able to critically interpret key food texts, using theories and concepts relevant to food studies;
- understand the interrelationship between local and global food traditions and position this in relation to theoretical discourses of food studies;
- have developed an awareness of what constitutes a national cuisine and be able to articulate this;
- have developed an in-depth understanding of specific historical and cultural issues and contexts in relation to identity and food culture and how these affect foodscapes through time;
- have developed the ability to evaluate the strength of food studies theories, and develop an argument in relation to identity and food cultures.
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Subject coordinator approval required
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
EURO20008 | Experiencing Foodscapes: Italy & Spain | Winter Term (Off Campus) |
12.5 |
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Assessment
Additional details
- Group ethnographic study of public foodscapes (1400 words), due during the overseas study period (35%)
- Project on food studies theories and identities (1000 words), due during the overseas study period (25%)
- Oral presentation (equivalent to 400 words), due during the overseas study period (10%)
- Research essay (theoretical and historical) (1200 words), due two weeks after the overseas study period (30%)
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Dates & times
- Winter Term - Off Campus
Coordinators Matt Absalom and Lara Anderson Mode of delivery Off Campus Contact hours 6 hours during pre-teaching period 30 hours of programmed in-country activities Total time commitment 170 hours Pre teaching start date 25 June 2018 Pre teaching requirements Students will participate in three pre-departure sessions which will deal with subject orientation as well as introduce students to theoretical literature in food studies Teaching period 30 June 2018 to 15 July 2018 Last self-enrol date 26 June 2018 Census date 6 July 2018 Last date to withdraw without fail 20 July 2018 Assessment period ends 31 July 2018
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Off-campus study
This subject has an overseas component
Students will spend one week in northeast Spain and one week in central Italy.
- Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
Last updated: 15 February 2024