Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description

Riddles of Culture

Instructor(s): Joowon Park, Anthropology 

Examination of cultural riddles in our world. Why are some foods edible in one culture but inedible in another? What are the links between culture, food, and ecology? How does militarism affect foodways? When does something become cultural appropriation? Who can wear dreads and cornrows, or tatoo Chinese characters on their bodies? Why do people loot? Why do we put on display the cultural heritage of others? Is the world becoming Americanized? How did kimchi, sushi, and coffee go global? In asking these questions, students will explore the larger question of what “culture” is and how culture shapes the norms and values of societies, our habits and experiences, and our perceptions.

Course Offered

• Fall 2023