ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the context of food markets of the global North, mainly in Europe and North America, which experienced a decline after World War II and a resurgence since the 1970s. Food markets can be publicly or privately run, permanent or seasonal, daily or monthly, huge or tiny, and located in major cities or small towns. Markets can be weekly food shopping spots, tourist destinations, and dining spots. Ethnography provides a powerful methodology for studying food and culture and developing student's research and critical thinking skills. Although designed for the unique setting of Central Market, a regional public market, this ethnographic project could be adapted to studying any farmers, retail, or wholesale market and could also easily be expanded into a more substantial semester-long project. Its focus on the important relationships among humans, culture, and place make it suitable for courses in urban, economic, and introductory anthropology, as well as those in cultural geography and sociology.
