The Politics of Food

Food is far more than a category of things we consume. It is deeply political, flavoring the social roles we accept, the laws we enforce, and the economic systems we design.

Every day, food takes form as objects (i.e., the physical items we eat) we interact with via a series of actions (e.g., from growing and harvesting, to eating and defecating) guided by often invisible ideologies (e.g., principles of what is normal, good, or bad) that, together, form a narrative of why we are who we are, and who we aspire to be.

This talk delves into the often invisible, yet extremely powerful, impact food has in shaping our identities and informing the ways we make meaning of the world around US.

Jenny Dorsey is a professional chef, author, and speaker focused on food as a source of human meaning-making and identity formation. She leads a nonprofit research organization, Studio ATAO, and is currently researching hawker centres in Singapore as a Fulbright-National Geographic Explorer.

Jenny is a James Beard Awards nominated writer with a newsletter titled Way Too

Complicated, and bylines in outlets such as The Washington Post, Eater, and Food & Wine. In pre-pandemic 2020, she gave her first TED Talk titled How Food Can Be A Source of Identity, Intimacy, and Vulnerability.

In 2022, she was named to Food & Wine's industry Changemakers list and the World's 50 "50 Next" list. Her full biography, food portfolio, awards, and bylines can be found at www.jennydorsey.co.