Current Anthropological Research: Schnitzel in a Pita with Hummus: The Anthropology of Israeli/Palestinian Food

This course gives a comprehensive introduction to a specific area of contemporary anthropological investigation. Current research trends and recent theoretical developments are explored through critical discussions with emphasis on anthropology's evolving engagement with the selected field. The course offers a unique opportunity to be acquainted with diverse aspects - methodological, epistemological and theoretical - of the research process, aspects that lie at the very basis of anthropological analysis and practice, and of ethnographic production.

Theme Spring 2023

Food is a vital human need, essential for our physical survival. Food is also a most perfect cultural artifact, the product of a complex differentiation process in which wheat grains are turned into French baguettes, Chinese dumplings or Italian pasta, that represent our social, religious and national identities. "Our food" is therefore a most powerful collective symbol, while "their food" is often looked down upon, ridiculed and stereotyped. French Gastronome Brillat-Savarin's well-known aphorism "Tell me what you eat and I shall tell you who you are", is a central pillar of this course, in which we will acquire the main theoretical and methodological tools for the ethnographic study of food and approach the culinary sphere as a cultural arena where complex negotiations over class, gender and ethnicity emerge. The reading list includes some of the most important anthropological texts on food, as well as articles and chapters that focus on the food and foodways of Israel/Palestine.

What is Israeli Food? How do Israelis eat? How is Israeli food different from the Palestinian cuisine? and what can we learn from these culinary practices about "Israeliness"? We will address these questions and explore nationalism, ethnicity, religion, gender and class in Israel from the unusual and intimate culinary perspective. We will follow the social history of dishes such as Hummus and Falafel, discuss the cultural meanings of Jewish and Muslim religious dietary laws, learn about unique Israeli foodways such as its Independence Day BBQ, and wonder why Israelis accuse Thai migrant workers of eating their pet dogs. We will deal specifically with the strained culinary relations between Israelis and Palestinians and between Jews and Arabs.

A student who has completed the course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

• provide an overview of the field of study addressed in the course, with particular reference to its history and theoretical and methodological debates in social anthropology

Skills

• explain the current state-of-art of research in the field of study addressed in the course
• explain the various methodological and theoretical considerations that must be taken in order to further develop the field of study

General competence

• apply key concepts and perspectives from the course and its field of study independently, in the understanding and analysis of local and global processes
• apply an understanding of the correlation and difference between empirical data, theory and analysis in text production