IR116: Food, Culture, and Identity

How is food fundamental to who we are? Why is it such a powerful force for connection and difference? Explore food as the essential link between nature and culture, examining how food classification, production, cooking, and eating shape cultural identity, social organisation, family and gender systems, and religious practices.

Food is crucial to human survival. Yet its production, preparation and consumption vary widely across time and place. As chef Anthony Bourdain once said, “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” By studying practices of commensality, you will uncover how food reveals ideas about similarity, difference, politics, religion, and social hierarchies. You will also explore contemporary issues such as how food consumption ties to identity, the obesity epidemic, and the environmental challenges of sustainable food production.

Using a global and comparative approach, investigate food histories from foraging to industrial production across place like Siberia, Sudan, and Scandinavia, with a special focus on London. London’s rich food heritage provides a living classroom, where you will examine the impact of colonialism, migration, and globalisation on cuisines from Roman Londinium to Victorian markets. Also discover Brick Lane's culinary evolution, reflecting British Empire foodways and the rise of Chicken Tikka Masala as a national dish. Guided by critical readings and engaging activities like walking tours and case studies, you will reflect on your own food experiences and their cultural significance.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. 

Level: 100 level. Read more information on levels in our FAQs

Fees: Please see Fees and payments

Lectures: 36 hours

Classes: 18 hours

Assessment: One 1,500 word essay (50%) and an examination (50%)

Typical credit: 3-4 credits (US) 7.5 ECTS points (EU)

Please note: Assessment is optional but may be required for credit by your home institution. Your home institution will be able to advise how you can meet their credit requirements. For more information on exams and credit, read Teaching and assessment

This course is explicitly designed to appeal to a wide variety of students in the human and social sciences. History, international relations, and politics students will benefit from its cross-cultural approach to how food shapes social and political life. Geography and environmental studies students will explore the interplay between food production and environmental challenges, while psychology students will analyse food classification systems and their cultural significance. For anthropology and sociology students, the course offers a deep dive into a dynamic sub-discipline focused on the historical and contemporary role of food.

Even if your background is outside these fields, this course provides an excellent opportunity to engage with an everyday topic from a fresh perspective, whether for academic, personal, or professional growth.

• Understand how food acts as a fundamental link between nature and culture, influencing cultural identity, social organisation, family and gender systems, and religious practices.
• Explore global foodways and examine the cultural and historical significance of food across societies.
• Analyse the impact of colonialism and migration on cuisines, using London as a case study.
• Examine food-related social movements, including veganism, vegetarianism, fair trade, and food activism.
• Investigate the complex relationship between food consumption and identity, understanding how food choices reflect and shape personal and group identities.
• Explore the significance of food taboos and religious practices related to food, and how these reflect broader cultural and social norms.
• Critically reflect on personal food experiences through the lens of anthropological and sociological literature, enhancing your understanding of food's role in human society.
• Evaluate contemporary issues related to food, such as the obesity epidemic, sustainable food production, and the medicalisation of food as nutrition.
• Apply theoretical approaches to food studies, including political economy and culturalist perspectives

The design of this course is guided by LSE faculty, as well as industry experts, who will share their experience and in-depth knowledge with you throughout the course.