Program Overview

Unit Overview

The unit NUTR609 - Food and Culture Study Experience is designed to provide students with an immersive real-world experience, facilitating highly developed interpersonal skills appropriate to a new cultural and linguistic environment.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

Successful engagement with diverse communities requires students to be culturally competent, to work within a culturally safe and responsive framework. This unit aims to help students equip themselves with advanced skills to succeed in a new cultural environment, to relate with diverse groups through food and cuisine, and to respect and value diversity.

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

• Understand the scope and requirements for participation in a culturally immersive experience
• Critically evaluate aspects of culinary culture
• Relate professionally with a broad audience, showing a profound understanding of a culinary culture and its complexities
• Critically reflect and revise perspectives of a new culture based on experience
• Clearly articulate the value of their experience for their future professional roles or for community or social good

Unit Content

Topics will include:

• Preparation for short-term study tour
• What does it mean to be culturally competent? What is cultural safety and responsiveness?
• How are food and culture interrelated? What is culinary culture?
• Introduction to host location: brief history, contemporary issues
• Culinary culture and culture of host location
• Communicating and educating through food
• Basic language and communication skills in host location
• Community engagement through food-based activities in host location

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessment strategy adopted is standards-based, utilizing a range of assessment tasks to support the developmental sequence of the learning and teaching strategy. The assessments include:

• Completion of preparatory task (hurdle)
• Presentation to demonstrate critical understanding of a specific culture and culinary culture
• Written assessment task to critically reflect on experience, challenges faced, and strategies developed

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The learning and teaching strategy consists of an introductory preparatory phase, followed by two additional phases. The unit begins with online modules and readings, completed prior to departing on the immersive study experience. Approaches during the immersive experience include lectures, discussions, workshops, and a community engagement activity. The final phase facilitates students' critical reflection and translation of their experience for future practice.

Representative Texts and References

• Duolingo app: Learn language for free
• Host location resources (e.g., Italy):
  • Brunori, G. Malandrin, V. Rossi, A. (2013). Trade-off or convergence? The role of food security in the evolution of food discourse in Italy.
  • Dansero, E. & Puttilli, M. (2014). Multiple territorialities of alternative food networks: six cases from Piedmont, Italy.
  • Helstosky, C. (2004). Garlic and Oil: Food and politics in Italy.
  • Naccarato, P., Nowak, Z., Eckert, E. K. Ed. (2017). Representing Italy Through Food.
  • Parasecoli, F. (2010). Al Dente: A History of Food in Italy.
  • Universities Australia. (2011). What is Cultural Competence? A Discussion of the Literature.

Unit Details

• Location: Rome
• Credit points: 10
• Year: 2026