79-377 Food, Culture, and Power: A History of Eating

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

How can human societies ensure that 8 billion people have enough good food to eat without exploiting people or the planet? This course will start with the assumption that the answer to that question requires not only technological innovations, but also an understanding of the cultural and political dimensions of food. For the first half of the course, we will explore the history of human eating, starting in deep time and then moving toward the present, considering along the way the historical evolution of food production and consumption, paying attention to both cultural diversity and cultural exchanges of foods and cuisine. Students will pursue individual research projects focused on a topic of their choose related to major course themes during the second half of the semester. Evaluation based on in-class participation, analytical reflections on weekly readings, and the research paper.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Fall 2026

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