NSCPHD1119 Food, Medicine and Philosophy in East and West

Volume 2013/2014
Content
What determines what we eat? Nat. science, culture, philosophy or religion? Is the human body more than a chemical machine? Widely diff. diet and health traditions come closer in a globalized world but understanding other traditions is difficult. Food/health topics relate to nat. science as well as to culture/philosophy/religion. Food/medicine differ between East/West, in mixtures of natural/social/human sciences. This course helps understand the scientific interactions, contrasts and synergies.

Diet and health traditions have become globalized. Regardless, diet and health views differ widely in the world and are not determined alone by food availability, health care and technology. Cultural and philosophical views of nature and the human body continue to be important. What determines what we eat and how we stay healthy and fit? Natural science, culture, philosophy or religion? Is food just fuel for the body machine, or is food similar to medicine? What is a functional food? Is fitness biochemistry and/or aesthetic experience? Can academic food and health science talk with business, culture and religion? Cross-disciplinary communication is required among widely different science fields. This broadening PhD course aims to give PhD students an improved understanding of the scientific, cultural and philosophical background for specific diet habits and body health views. We couple field work at several different universities, hospitals, food markets and cultural/religious sites with insights into the basic characteristics of natural, social and human sciences (the 3 main academic domains). Specifically, we will contrast some traditions of the Western world with those in the East (particularly China). This makes us aware of both the potentials and the limitations of Western scientific principles and their role in diet and health globalization. The course is highly inter-disciplinary and contains topics from very different disciplines (food science, nutrition, medicine, pharmacology, business, sociology, philosophy, religion). All course participants are expected to contribute to a fruitful cross-talk among the different fields. Each student picks a focus area that supports his/hers own specific PhD program or general learning.

Please see: http://www.courseinfo.life.ku.dk/Kurser/phd_fmp.aspx
Learning Outcome
The PhD student will get new insight into widely different diet and health traditions, and their related research fields, in East and West. The course supports the trend towards increasing international and cross-disciplinary research in the food and health field. By exposing the PhD student to food/health science from widely different scientific/​cultural/​religious perspectives, the course will help the student to know the potentials and limitations of his/hers own research.
Literature
Reading material will be available from the course website during the course. Material from previous courses will be made available for the students.
The course consists of two parts at two locations: 1) Lectures and report work at Faculty of Sciences (SCIENCE), University of Copenhagen and 2) lectures and field studies in EITHER Hong Kong/Guangzhou, China OR Chennai, India. A series of preparatory lectures are combined with an independent investigation into a chosen topic, ideally related to the students own PhD program. By the end of the course, each student prepares a written report (4-5 pages, 1,5 line spacing, 12 pt.) that is presented for the entire group of students (Powerpoint, 15 min incl. discussion) and examined by the course coordinators. Foreign participants do not need to be present at the final examination but can hand in electronically the report and presentation for evaluation.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 5
  • Excursions
  • 45
  • Lectures
  • 35
  • Preparation
  • 20
  • Project work
  • 35
  • Total
  • 140
Credit
6 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Oral defence
Written report on a self-chosen topic coupled with an oral presentation and examination at the end of the course. Foreign participants do not need to be present at the examination at the end of the course, but can hand in electronically the report and a presentation for evaluation.
Marking scale
completed/not completed
Censorship form
No external censorship