Eating, Customs and Health

Health crises, food insecurity, and sustainable food practices are significant societal challenges today. This course teaches students to analyse these pressing issues, beginning with the understanding that health is related to (good) food. However, perspectives on what constitutes "good" food can vary widely, and access to appropriate food is not equal for everyone.
In this course, we explore identities and ideas related to food, as well as daily routines, food customs, and issues of access and availability, all from a health perspective. We examine the complex relationships between food patterns and customs in relation to personal and public health concerns. As we confront increasing health inequalities and challenges within the global food system, understanding these intricate relationships becomes critical.
The course equips students with the tools and skills needed to analyse and comprehend issues of (public) health, eating, and customs across diverse geographical and cultural contexts. In addition to this foundational knowledge, students will learn interview techniques and how to interpret data gathered from interviews.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Explain how the experience of health and eating is shaped by the social and cultural context
• Explain how the experience of health and eating is shaped by identity
• Illustrate the theories from the course with examples
• Formulate interview questions that fit a research question
• Execute a research interview in such a way that it gives valuable information to answer the research question