ENST 324 - Hunting, Eating, Vegetarianism

Historically, hunting for food has represented one of the most direct ways in which people have engaged with nature. Some scholars even believe that the “hunting instinct” is a fundamental aspect of human identity. People in modern industrialized societies, however, often have little idea about the origins of the flesh they consume, most of which is raised and slaughtered on an industrial scale. While the majority continue to eat meat, poultry, and/or fish, a minority have chosen to become vegetarians or even vegans for ethical, religious, cultural, health-oriented, or environmental reasons. Others continue to hunt and fish but within ecosystems dramatically altered by human intervention and amidst cultural landscapes complicated by commercialized and trophy hunting. Drawing upon a wide range of sources including literature, artistic and documentary films, autobiographical accounts, online hunting (and anti-hunting) forums, diverse web resources, and scholarly approaches ranging from animal studies to humanistic ecocriticism, students investigate the intertwined themes of hunting, industrial versus small-scale farming and fishing, diverse cuisines including vegetarianism/veganism, and the ethical and existential food choices that confront members of modern industrialized societies.

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Human Thought and Expression
Liberal Arts Practices: Confronting Collective Challenges and The Process of Writing
Core Component: None

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