Online students explore food justice, culture, history
Undergraduate research experience teaches impact of food, community
In the Food, Environment, Justice: The Impact of Traditional/Indigenous Foodways Around the World research opportunity, students learn the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food and health, and learn how to apply certain aspects in their local communities. Photo courtesy Ilaria Tabusso-Marcyan
Food serves as a bank of knowledge, offering insight into the culture and history of our communities and connecting us with our roots.
Driven by their commitment to food studies, Assistant Teaching Professor Ilaria Tabusso-Marcyan and Associate Professor Juliann Vitullo from Arizona State University's School of International Letters and Cultures partnered to offer online students a unique research opportunity through the Online Undergraduate Research Scholars (OURS) program.
“We want students to understand what traditional place-based diet and foodways have to teach us,” Vitullo said. “That paves the way for them to address the critical issues of food sovereignty and justice.”
In the “Food, Environment, Justice: The Impact of Traditional/Indigenous Foodways Around the World” research opportunity, students examine traditional and Indigenous food practices, such as the widely known Mediterranean diet.
“I wanted to engage with this research because food is a way we connect and interact with others and learn about different cultures,” said John Comito, an anthropology student who lives in Tennessee. “Making these connections and learning about history is why I wanted to study anthropology, so it caught my attention from there.”
Students begin the course with readings to understand food systems, the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food and health, and learn how to apply certain aspects in their local communities. They then connect with community organizations in their area, learn about local food traditions and examine how they operate.
Throughout the semester, students meet virtually with their peers in the program to share updates on their projects, receive feedback from the group and learn about research strategies others are using.
This collaborative exchange offers a dynamic learning environment where students benefit from each other’s experiences and expertise.
Comito is tailoring his research to learn more about food availability in his community, which is crucial to addressing food insecurity.
The idea for his research arose from his experience when he moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, from Texas last year and noticed that some of the food items he was accustomed to seeing in Texas were not in Tennessee.
His first step in understanding why there were differences in foods was to learn more about Clarksville's history. From there, he conducted interviews with business owners, farmers, vendors and community members to gain firsthand insight into the role of food in the community.
“I love that part of research. When I was in the Army, that was my job, making interpersonal connections with people and learning more about their culture and community to form relationships,” Comito said.
Online students need to have the chance to participate in research-based courses because it allows them to step away from the computer and online assignments, Tabusso-Marcyan says.
“The experiential learning they do in the field becomes a transformative experience that deepens their educational experience," she said.
“I am grateful to offer these online research courses; they’re important for different perspectives and connections.”
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