Nordplus - Food and Learning in Changing Society

Nordplus

The intensive course “Food in a changing society” focuses on Nordic-Baltic expertise in the field of food and nutrition.  Food is not only nutrition, but a complex battlefield where at times irrelevant details receive too much attention and the complex overall picture cannot be understood.  The course builds a solid foundation for a theoretical understanding of social and cultural changes in people’s food related behavior, and looks at food from different angles: for example, ethics, local-global dimensions, class, gender and ethnicity.

The course provides students with food-related skills so that they are able to understand people’s food related behavior. They will be able to read food media critically.  In addition, students will gain the skills that they need in their various future professions in order to cope in our changing society.

The course is an excellent opportunity for all participants to build and further develop their professional Nordic-Baltic networks. 

Each course day starts with a plenary lecture that provides an introduction to the day’s theme. Round table discussions give participants the possibility to exchange ideas, develop further their theoretical understanding and plan new methodological approaches in the field of food studies. Students have the opportunity to present their project work and obtain feedback to help them further with their studies. The course makes efficient use of modern information technology and thus runs on-line throughout the year. During the course new relevant teaching material – for example, web lectures and proceedings – has been published.

Coordinator:
Home Economics Science and Education, University of Helsinki

Partners:
Tallinn University, Department of Crafts
Danish School of Education Aarhus University, Copenhagen
Department of Food, Health and Environment, University of Gothenburg
Department for Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University