This class was originally designed in intercultural collaboration with the elective entitled “Eat, Drink: East Asia” to be offered by Dr. Karen Kingsbury at Chatham University. It involves students from Tunghai University and Chatham University in an exploration of food, culture, and writing in the East Asian context (China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan). Students will study the meanings of food culture in East Asia, gender and family dynamics, and the transformations of the East Asian cuisines in the U.S. To help students approach these major topics from local and global views, a class blog will be set up to facilitate intercultural collaboration/peer interaction.

Course Objectives: 1.To sharpen critical reading and writing skills 2.To cultivate intercultural awareness/audience awareness through peer interaction/response 3.To develop global competencies 4.To understand global interdependence and local cultural values from multiple perspectives (e.g. social, economic, political, and environmental). 5.To critically assess global and local events, processes, trends, and/or issues and be able to place one’s one culture in that context.

Lee, Jennifer 8. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. Twelve, 2008.
Dunlop, Fushia. Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China. Norton, 2008.
Hsu, Vera Y. N and Francis L. K. “Modern China: North.” Food in Chinese Culture: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives. Ed., K.C. Chang. Yale UP, 1977. (handout)
Anderson, Jr., E.N. and Marja L. “Modern China: South.” Food in Chinese Culture: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives. Ed., K.C. Chang. Yale UP, 1977. [excerpts]
Cwiertka, Katarzyna J. Modern Japanese Cuisine: Food, Power and National Identity. Reaktion, 2007.