ABSTRACT
Scholarship flourishes in inclusive environments where open deliberations and generative feedback expand both individual and collective thinking. Many researchers, however, have limited access to such settings, and most conventional academic conferences fall short of promises to provide them. We have written this Field Report to share our methods for cultivating a vibrant intellectual community within the Science and Technology Studies Food and Agriculture Network (STSFAN). This is paired with insights from 21 network members on aspects that have allowed STSFAN to thrive, even amid a global pandemic. Our hope is that these insights will encourage others to cultivate their own intellectual communities, where they too can receive the support they need to deepen their scholarship and strengthen their intellectual relationships.
ABSTRACT
Public representation of Indian cuisine is important for historians of technology. It shows how progress, modernity, and innovation pervade the general public's understanding of South Asian food history. Based on a popular documentary series, this review shows that technology is an elusive category when discussing food in relation to colonialism, religion, and national identity. Analyzing various dimensions of culinary history gives us an opportunity to rethink research and teaching methodologies by foregrounding indigenous technologies and the role of nonelite actors in shaping technological history and practices.
