Food, Migration, and Belonging

About this course

How can food and food practices influence our sense of belonging – or of exclusion?  In this course focused on student’s own research, we explore ways in which food contributes to the building of communities and a sense of belonging. We talk about “breaking bread” as a way of overcoming differences, examining the long history of food and eating as tools in conflict resolution and the de-escalation of disputes. Food can also be our entry into new communities, shown through the million-dollar industry of food tourism which markets food as, literally, a taste of a new culture. But food – what we eat and how we eat it – also delineates class, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, and citizenship status. With Denmark as a case study, you will spend the semester researching a topic of your own choice related to food and belonging.

“People eating similar food are trustworthy, good, familiar, and safe; but people eating unusual food give rise to feelings of distrust, suspicion, and even disgust” (Scholliers, 2001).

Faculty

Teresa Imaya Bengtsson

Faculty; Academic Consultant

Cand.mag. (Advanced Migration Studies, Copenhagen University). B.A., in Global Humanities (Communications and Cultural Encounters, Roskilde University Center). Conference Coordinator, 21st Nordic Migration Research Conference, Copenhagen University, 2022. Consultant, M.A. in Advanced Migration Studies, Copenhagen University, 2021. External Faculty, DIS, 2021-present. With DIS since 2013.