KIN 166: American Food And Culture: Global Origins, History, and Current Impacts

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2024
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Total Student Learning Hours: 162
Strongly Recommended: ENGL 101.
District General Education: C2. Humanities, D1. History and Political Science, E2. Fitness/Health Science
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: Yes - Approved
Grading Method: Standard Letter, Pass/No Pass

Catalog Course Description

The evolution of American food culture is examined from a historical, contemporary, economic, political and scientific survey of ethnic groups in America, including Native Americans, European Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos. These factors are compared and contrasted across the ethnic groups and regions in America as students learn about basic concepts of nutrition and healthy diet based on current research to develop an awareness and impact of the American diet. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • examine the factors that transformed the indigenous food selections of ethnic groups prior to immigration (e.g. war, exploration, migration, and trade).
  • examine factors contributing to the immigration of various ethnic groups to America.\\n
  • identify the meaning that food held/holds among ethnic groups in America from immigration to present day.
  • identify the ways in which religion, economics, politics, and other social factors influence food-related choice, practices, beliefs, or attitudes.
  • utilize current longitudinal data to discuss the impact that contemporary food practices have had on the health status of various ethnic groups in America.
  • describe the impact that ethnic cuisine has had on the American economy and table.
  • examine, interpret and discuss the significance of personal discovery in the process of cultural competency.
  • evaluate and analyze their nutritional status by documenting three days of food intake and comparing this record to recommended standards to learn the characteristics of proper nutrition.
  • assess their personal levels of body composition by using various methods of body composition analysis such as Micro Fit, Electrical Impedance, HealthStatus.com, Nutrition.gov and other internet links and comparing these levels to recommended standards.

Major Course Content

  1. Humans, Nutrition & Survival and The Search for Food
    1. Food & Culture
    2. What is Food What is Culture
    3. Cultural Food Habits
    4. Individual Food Habits
    5. Nutrition and Food Habits
    6. The Omnivore's Paradox
  2. Traditional Health Beliefs & Practices
    1. What is Health
    2. Cultural Definitions of Disease, Illness, and Sickness
    3. Culturally-Based Healing Beliefs and Practices
  3. Intercultural Communication
    1. Intercultural Communication Concepts and Contexts
  4. Food & Religion
    1. Western Religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam)
    2. Basic Tenants
    3. Allowed and Forbidden Foods and Food Practices
    4. Eastern Religions (Hinduism and Buddhism)
    5. Basic Tenants
    6. Allowed and Forbidden Foods and Food Practices
  5. Early Dietary Habits
    1. Dietary Patterns from Columbian Times Through the American Revolution
    2. The New Republic Through the Nineteenth Century
    3. Resulting Regional Cuisines of America
  6. Native Americans
    1. History of the First Americans
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Contact
    3. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    4. Meal Composition and Cycle
    5. Role of Food
    6. Therapeutic Uses of Food
    7. Illness & Healing Beliefs
    8. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    9. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    10. Impact on American Table & Economy
    11. Present-Day Nutritional Status
    12. Degenerative Disease Statistics
    13. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  7. Northern & Southern European-Americans
    1. History of Northern & Southern Europeans (two immigrant groups)
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    3. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods Meal Composition and Cycle
    4. Traditional Family Values
    5. Therapeutic Uses of Food Illness & Healing Beliefs
    6. Reasons & Periods of Immigration
    7. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    8. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    9. Impact on American Table & Economy
    10. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    11. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  8. Central European-Americans, People of Former Soviet Union and Scandinavians
    1. History of Central Europeans, People of Former Soviet Union and
    2. Scandinavians (one immigrant group)
    3. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    4. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    5. Meal Composition and Cycle
    6. Role of Food in Culture
    7. Traditional Family Values
    8. Therapeutic Uses of Food Illness & Healing Beliefs
    9. Reasons for Immigration
    10. Periods of Immigration
    11. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    12. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    13. Impact on American Table & Economy
    14. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    15. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  9. Black/African-Americans
    1. History of West Africans
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Enslavement/Transport
    3. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    4. Meal Composition and Cycle
    5. Role of Food in the Culture
    6. Traditional Family Values
    7. Therapeutic Uses of Food Illness & Healing Beliefs
    8. Middle Passage Life as Slaves/Life after Emancipation
    9. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    10. Cultural Identity Today
    11. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    12. Impact on American Table & Economy
    13. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    14. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  10. Mexican-Americans and Central Americans
    1. History of Mexican and Central Americans (two immigrant groups)
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    3. Reasons for Immigration Periods of Immigration
    4. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    5. Meal Composition and Cycle
    6. Role of Food in the Culture
    7. Traditional Family Values
    8. Therapeutic Uses of Food Illness & Healing Beliefs
    9. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    10. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations Impact on American Table & Economy
    11. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    12. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  11. Caribbean- and South Americans
    1. History of Caribbean Islanders and South Americans(one immigrant group)
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    3. Reasons & Periods of Immigration
    4. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    5. Meal Composition and Cycle
    6. Role of Food in the Culture
    7. Traditional Family Values
    8. Therapeutic Uses of Food in Illness & Healing Beliefs
    9. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    10. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    11. Impact on American Table & Economy
    12. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    13. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  12. Chinese-, Japanese- and Korean-Americans
    1. History of Chinese, Japanese and Koreans (two immigrant groups)
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    3. Reasons & Periods of Immigration
    4. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    5. Meal Composition and Cycle
    6. Role of Food in the Culture
    7. Traditional Family Values
    8. Therapeutic Uses of Food Illness & Healing Beliefs
    9. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    10. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    11. Impact on American Table & Economy
    12. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    13. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  13. Southeast Asian- and Pacific Island-Americans
    1. History of Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders (one immigrant group)
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    3. Reasons & Periods of Immigration
    4. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    5. Meal Composition and Cycle
    6. Role of Food in the Culture
    7. Traditional Family Values
    8. Therapeutic Uses of Food in Illness & Healing Beliefs
    9. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    10. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    11. Impact on American Table & Economy
    12. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    13. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  14. Balkan-, Greek- and Middle Eastern American
    1. History of Balkan-, Greek- and Middle Eastern-Americans (one immigrant group)
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    3. Reasons & Periods of Immigration
    4. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    5. Meal Composition and Cycle
    6. Role of Food in the Culture
    7. Traditional Family Values
    8. Therapeutic Uses of Food Illness & Healing Beliefs
    9. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    10. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    11. Impact on American Table & Economy
    12. Present-Day Nutritional Status
    13. Degenerative Disease Statistics
    14. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency
  15. Indo- and Pakistani-Americans
    1. History of Indians and Pakistanis (one immigrant group)
    2. Traditional Food Habits Prior to Immigration
    3. Reasons for Immigration Periods of Immigration
    4. Indigenous Ingredients and Common Foods
    5. Meal Composition and Cycle
    6. Role of Food in the Culture
    7. Traditional Family Values
    8. Therapeutic Uses of Food Illness & Healing Beliefs
    9. Acculturation Process & Challenges
    10. Contemporary Food Habits & Adaptations
    11. Impact on American Table & Economy
    12. Present-Day Nutritional Status Degenerative Disease Statistics
    13. Health Disparities and Need for Dietary and Cultural Sensitivity and Competency

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Internet Resources

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Research Paper Website Group Papers

Examples of Outside Assignments

Research Paper - Personal Nutrition Plan (5-6 pages in length) Food Log - 3 day food log containing all caloric consumption for the 72 hour period. Literature Review - 60 articles covering the essential nutrients needed by our body.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture

IGETC Area 3: Arts and Humanities

3B. Humanities

IGETC Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences

4. Social and Behavioral Sciences