Food, Culture & Politics
This MIT OCW course examines what food practices reveal about identity, social relations, and economic inequality across cultures. Discussions center on how societies define "good" food, whether tasty, healthy, authentic, or ethical, drawing on anthropological studies alongside contemporary writing and film about agriculture and food politics. Topics include food production systems, consumption habits, and the local and global structures that shape access to food. The course also builds written and oral communication skills through structured discussion and assignments tied to the readings. Materials include the full syllabus, readings list, and assignment prompts as published by MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access online. No certificate is offered, but all course materials are available for self-study under MIT's open license.