The Department of Social Science Research Seminar
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(DATE CHANGED) Tea Science and Culture in Undergraduate Asian Studies
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Speaker: Dr. Dan Choffnes (Visiting Scholar in Asian Studies, Department of Social Science and Associate Professor of Biology and Asian Studies Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin (USA))
Date: 14 27 November 2019 (Wednesday)
Time: 14:00 – 15:00 11:00 – 12:00
Venue: D501 M405
Medium: English
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Abstract
Tea’s long history of cultivation in East and South Asia, diverse roles in social and spiritual life across time and space, storied health-promoting properties, and economic importance render it a compelling subject for study in the context of an undergraduate Asian Studies program. Tea has been the subject of classical and modern scholarship in the Asian and western medical traditions. Furthermore, its processing and consumption practices differ greatly among the people of Asia, reflecting regional and ethnic tastes and values. Various styles of tea comprise chemical profiles with distinctive flavors, aromas, and medicinal properties. Rituals associated with tea preparation and drinking can demonstrate the embodied practices of self-cultivation and discernment as well as associative functions. Classic and modern texts offer insight into fundamental values as well as constructive debates. Thus, tea can effectively address students’ interests and curricular objectives in an interdisciplinary undergraduate Asian Studies program.
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Bio
Dr. Dan Choffnes is an ethnobotanist who conducts research at the intersection of plant science, culture, and human health. His recent projects have centered on aspects of tea folklore, agricultural heritage and innovation in tea villages of southeastern China. He teaches a range of subjects across the biology and Asian Studies fields and has organized several groups of US students on study tours in China. He is currently Vice Chair of ASIANetwork, a consortium of approximately 160 North American liberal-arts colleges and universities for the promotion of Asian Studies in undergraduate education.
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All participating students will be awarded 1 ECA hour / 1 iGPS Unit.
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Please click here for registration.
