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GERARD A. MALANGA ITALIAN STUDIES SCHOLARSHIP ($5000 yearly)
Created in fiscal year 2023 by Carrie H. Malanga G’05, the scholarship shall be awarded to a Drew University College of Liberal Arts or Caspersen School of Graduate Studies student with a preference given for a student(s) in good academic standing pursuing Italian studies, which could include as a major or minor, through a study abroad or TREC trip, and/or in a graduate program. The scholarship is created in celebration of Carrie Malanga’s late husband, Gerard.
Speakers
Wednesday November 9th at 6:00 pm on Zoom.
Gastronativism: Food, Politics, and Globalization
European anti-immigrant politicians denounce couscous and kebabs. The Italian political right is outraged by halal tortellini and a pork-free lasagna served at the Vatican. Covid has stoked fears about contagion through food. In an era of nationalist and exclusionary movements, food has become a potent symbol of identity. This talk identifies, defines, and explore the phenomenon of “gastronativism,” the ideological use of food to advance ideas about who belongs to a community and who does not. As globalization and mass migrations have transformed food systems, people have responded by seeking to return to their roots. Many have embraced local ingredients and notions of cultural heritage, but this impulse can play into the hands of nationalist and xenophobic political projects. Such dynamics draw on the strong emotions connected with eating to fuel resentment and contempt for other people and cultures. Gastronativism is a worldwide phenomenon. However, it does not always exclude: at times it can channel pride in culinary traditions toward resisting transnational corporations, uplifting marginalized and oppressed groups, and assisting people left behind by globalization.
Fabio Parasecoli is Professor of Food Studies in the Nutrition and Food Studies Department at New York University, researching the cultural politics of food in intangible heritage, media, and design. Recent books include Knowing Where It Comes From: Labeling Traditional Foods to Compete in a Global Market (2017), Food (2019), Global Brooklyn: Designing Food Experiences in World Cities (2021, coedited with Mateusz Halawa), and Gastronativsm: Food, Identity, Politics (2022).