Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Who is Teaching this Course?

I am Rabia Shahab-Dirdak (she/her) and I will be your instructor for this course. My higher education began at Bryn Mawr College, a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, PA, where I majored in East Asian Language and Culture. Living and teaching English in Japan inspired me to pursue an education in nutritional science, and I did that here in Portland at the National University of Natural Medicine.

My informal education started in my family kitchen where my mother and father encouraged me to learn simple dishes to help with family dinners. Through passion and exploration, the kitchen has become my creative outlet. Making dinner for my family or baking a treat (mostly for me, let's be honest) is my happy place.

My Philosophy in Teaching

My role is to guide you through the formal study of food and nutrition. However, my philosophy of teaching is student-driven. I want you to be an active participant in your own learning. That means striving to complete readings, quizzes, and assignments on time, because ultimately that will keep you engaged and able to participate in learning the class material.

Due to the personal and emotional nature of food and nutrition, let me reassure you that our online classroom space will be a non-judgmental zone. This class is not meant to "fix" your eating habits or diet but to encourage self-discovery of your food story and the inner workings of your body.

Course Details

• Online (scheduled meetings)
  • On Zoom, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00-3:20PM
• Materials available 24/7 through PCC Brightspace
• Weekly schedule: New materials posted Mondays at 12:01 am, assignments due the following Monday at 11:59 pm
• One-on-one meetings available by appointment (no regular office hours)

Tell me more about FN 114

Cultural Food Studies is an course that combines explorative independent learning on D2L with hands-on cooking labs you will complete in your own home. Students will explore diverse global cuisines while delving into their social, historical, and political contexts. The course fosters critical discussions on racism, addressing stereotypes, biases, and prejudice, and aims to challenge these issues thoughtfully through the lens of food.

Course Topics: 

• Culture, food & identity 
• Decentralizing & Decolonizing Nutrition
• Anthropology of Food
• African & African American Cuisine 
• Latinx American Cuisine 
• Indigenous/Native American Cuisine
• Southeast and East Asian Cuisine 
• North & Central Asian Cuisine
• West Asian (Middle Eastern) & Religions Cuisine