The Department of Anthropology is offering a study abroad program for Fall 2012 at the UW Center in Rome. The program is open to all majors. Program credit is also eligible for the Medical Anthropology and Global Health (MAGH) track.
No prior language study is required for this course. An intensive Italian language class with a focus on food is included in the first three weeks of the program.
You will find some more information below about the content of the program. Please email the program director if you would like to receive updates on program planning and the application process. Please put "Rome Program" in the subject line of your email.
Program Director email:
Ann Anagnost (anagnost@u.washington.edu)
Informational Session: TBA.
Where to apply:
Although the program is not posted yet, you will be able to apply for this program online at the following web address: http://studyabroad.washington.edu/
Follow the links to the list of programs for Autumn 2012.
The UW Rome Center is in the Palazzo Pio located in the historic center of the city on the Campo de' Fiori, which is also the site of a daily fruit and produce market. The market will be the starting point for an examination of the organization, politics, economy, and culture of the local food system. From there, we will further our investigation at increasing scales of analysis: the city of Rome, the region of Lazio, the nation of Italy, the European Union, and the globe.
Particular attention will be paid to contemporary food movements taking place in and around the city of Rome: exploring the revival of farmer’s markets, the growth of community supported agriculture (box schemes) and urban farming, the reclaiming of local food traditions, raw milk politics, and the anti-GMO movement. We will also have plenty of hands-on experience preparing traditional dishes in Italian cuisine as well as producing artisanally made foods, such as bread, pizza, pasta, and cheeses.
In addition to our activities in Rome, the program also includes a one-week field trip to Civita di Bagnoregio, a medieval hill town two hours north of Rome where students will learn about local food traditions and the history of food production in central Italy.
Slow Food is a movement that first began in Italy in reaction to "fast food" and industrialized agriculture and has now spread worldwide. It embraces the politics of "good, clean, and fair" in food production and consumption (i.e., food that is healthy, environmentally responsible, and socially just). If budget allows, we will be traveling to Turin for Terra Madre 2012, a major event for the Slow Food Movement that happens only once every two years.
