5 pages 1.5 Spaced Times New Roman
Reflecting on Wine and Feasting in Context
Choose a type of feasting you have experienced, or you are familiar with (e.g. through another course on history and society) and assess its character and importance for the group involved in the light of the work of Dietler and Hayden. Define the culture/context you have chosen as your case study and consider the following issues (not all of which may apply), and any other issues you may find important for the understanding of the feast you have chosen:
– What is the make-up of the social group involved (who is included and who is excluded)?
– What is the relationship between host and guests (hierarchical, heterarchical or other)?
– What is ‘typical’ or even ‘stereotypical’ for this feasting culture? Does your personal experience of this culture (be it through perception or participation) differ from the ‘(stereo)typical’? If so, how? why?
– What is the range of food consumed, and is there a key role of any specific dish?
– Is alcohol/wine included in the feast? If so, in what ways is it included?
– Is the consumption of food and wine/alcohol tightly linked in this context? Why so?
– What do people achieve/gain by organizing/participating in the feast?
– What role does the feast play in society?
– Can you partake of the wider culture without participating in this feast?
Performance will be evaluated on the basis of:
creative and comprehensive coverage of the topic;
clarity in definitions;
nuanced and critical engagement with the material and the work by Dietler and Hayden;
balanced coverage of the varied perspectives and experiences involved;
quality of editing of the text.
Practical info:
5 pages long, TNR 12, spaced 1.5
Citations: Harvard or Chicago style
Submission through Brightspace (Assignments Tab)
This is what I have so far:
As I approach my 22nd Birthday, I have been reflecting on all of the celebrations I have been a part of over the years, and looking back at how significant feasting and wine were to these celebrations. Dietler describes feasting as “an analytical rubric used to describe forms of ritual activity that involve the communal consumption of food and drink” and explains that “rituals of this kind play many important social, economic, and political roles in the lives of peoples around the world” and I would have to agree. At least in my own life, both wine and feasting have played an important role in building and maintaining my relationships with my family and friends by giving us opportunities to gather together. Whether that be a national holiday, birthday, or even just regular Sunday family dinner, wine and feasting means alot to me and my relationships.
21st birthdays are a big deal here in the United States, as it marks the beginning of adulthood and the independence that comes with it. You are now not limited to anything and are immersed fully into society. This past year I have attended my fair share of 21st birthday parties, including my own and have witnessed first hand the importance of feasting and wine to the occasion.
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