Learn about this web-project & the ever growing field of food rhetoric.
The Intersection of Food, Composition, and Rhetoric
Rhetoric of food, food discourse, food ideologies, or “edible rhetoric” as scholar, Jody Shipka, playfully names the way food is used to persuade. Food rhetoric, as this project refers to it, is a meaning-making practice. It is ideological, material, and emotional. It is a form of literacy, a reflection of history; it is born of culture and creates cultures in and of itself. It is particular to place, relations, and stories. It serves both needs and wants—is both part of survival and decadence. Many argue that its composition can be analyzed as a text; others claim it functions as its own rhetorical device. The point is—there’s a lot to say about food and this project attempts to highlight all the work that has been done around it.
When I first became interested in food rhetoric I was a MA student at Michigan State. I was fascinated in diving deeper into the narratives around food and the way it acts as part of culture. As a new scholar and with the demands of a thesis I made my best attempt to understand the subfield, but alas there’s many scholars I missed out on and I've been digging ever since. Research on food rhetoric is widespread but the dispersion of the field also makes it hard to dive into without any familiarity with the topic. I created this project with my past self in mind. What could be useful to someone ready to submerge into the topic, but with little time or resources to explore? What resources could be useful for new graduate students or faculty that are ready to dip their toes into a food-themed course?
This project aims to be a space of community with a goal that more people can come to the kitchen table-so to speak. A singular location that can direct readers to work on food, rhetoric, and composition and can make the entry into the subfield more accessible. By mapping out the field, my hope is that the site can draw connections for readers, future collaborations for researchers, and serve as an informal archive of what work has been done. The blog features discussions related to the field as well as scholar spotlights. The bibliography maps out research in the field. The pedagogy section features course designs and activities for food-related course. To be featured on this site or to share CFPS, conferences, or other professional development opportunities contact the site manager, Kelli Gill at kellirgillat]gmail.com.