ERIC Number: EJ954806
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Oct-5
Pages: 0
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1938-5978
EISSN: N/A
From Kitchen to Classroom: The Serious Study of Food
Halfond, Jay A.
New England Journal of Higher Education, Oct 2011
Much has changed over the past generation in the academic acceptance and even appreciation of the role food plays in the world. Students now flock to specialized degree programs in gastronomy, pursue food-oriented tracks at the doctoral level, seek out programs and careers in the hospitality industry, and elect courses on food and wine as a way of enriching their personal lives. Why has this intellectual curiosity exploded in recent years? Has food studies now moved from the kitchen closet into academic legitimacy? Are universities leaders or followers in this movement? This phenomenon, the author argues, is neither a fad nor dilettantism. The personal appreciation of good food and wine is not sufficient motivation in itself to drive students to in-depth academic study. Food Studies appeals to students seeking a broader, more integrated perspective on what it means to be human. There are sadly too few ways to get an interdisciplinary, multicultural perspective even within the conventional liberal arts. The separate silos of study have forced a narrowing within each subject, which often inadvertently precludes intellectual exploration and discovery. In this article, the author calls for more majors and master's degrees that challenge balkanization within academe, more respect for the importance of food in serious scholarship, and far greater recognition of the need to structure the modern university itself to be more receptive to emerging fields that defy the conventional structure.
Descriptors: Food, Intellectual Disciplines, Graduate Study, Hospitality Occupations, Scholarship, Majors (Students), Multicultural Education, Interdisciplinary Approach, Educational Opportunities
New England Board of Higher Education. 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111. Tel: 617-357-9620; Fax: 617-338-1577; e-mail: info@nebhe.org; Web site: http://www.nebhe.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A