'The State and the Power of Food' Lecture

Feb. 15, 2012 - PRLog -- University of Houston (UH) assistant professor of history Natalia Milanesio will speak on “The State and the Power of Food” at noon, Friday, Feb. 17 at UH Michael J. Cemo Hall, Room 101. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Historically, food has been a significant component of state building. From food provision to taxation and regulation, governments have made food an important aspect of policy making, a means of institutional and legal development, and a reason to control production, commerce and the population.

Food is also a cultural sign that transmits multiple meanings. Through an analysis of state policies, discourses and propaganda in mid-20th century Argentina, this talk is an examination of the symbolic power of food – the crucial role of food images and discourses in the construction of political legitimacy.

“Our aim is to encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration through the examination of the food that sustains the cultural, economic and physical lives of our diverse communities,” said Monica Perales, UH associate professor of history and co-director of the speaker series. “Dr. Milanesio’s talk encourages us to think about the political uses of food, not only in 1950s Argentina, but in our own communities today.”

The Food for Though Speaker Series is sponsored by the El Paso Corporation Lecture Series and the UH Center for Public History.

For more information, call Perales at 713-743-3103 or via email at mperales3@uh.edu

WHAT:       
“The State and the Power of Food”
Food for Though Speaker Series

WHEN:    
Noon to 1:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17

WHERE:        
Michael J. Cemo Hall, Room 101
http://www.uh.edu/campus_map/buildings/CEMO.php
Parking available in the Welcome Center Parking Garage located on Calhoun Drive near Entrance 1.
http://www.uh.edu/campus_map/buildings/WC.php

WHO:       
Free and open to the public.

# # #

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation’s best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation’s fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 38,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.