This document describes a university cooking program that aims to promote health through a non-reductionist and collaborative approach. The program moves away from traditional nomothetic criteria by allowing students to select health behaviors based on personal contexts. It also incorporates critical pedagogy principles by having students explore issues like food insecurity in their local community through experiences like photography assignments. The goal is for students to gain a deeper understanding of complex issues and view their roles in enacting thoughtful change through collaborative programs.

1. C O O K I N G U P C O L L A B O R AT I O N :
A N O N - R E D U C T I O N I S T, H E A LT H - B A S E D
U N I V E R S I T Y C O O K I N G P R O G R A M
N A T I O N A L W E L L N E S S C O N F E R E N C E 2 0 1 5
M I N N E A P O L I S , M N
C H R I S T O P H E R L . F I N K , P H D
O H I O W E S L E YA N U N I V E R S I T Y
D E PA R T M E N T O F H E A LT H & H U M A N K I N E T I C S

2. ?
Where do you live
!
Where were you born
!
What is your job
Best place to eat where
you live

3. W H Y A R E Y O U H E R E ?

4. F R U S T R A T I O N

7. N O M O T H E T I C C R I T E R I A
Criteria derived from the study of groups,
seeking to prescribe a particular dose of
something to a large group of people.

8. R E D U C T I O N I S M
“Since the late nineteenth century, nutrition
science has been characterized by the attempt to
understand foods and diets in terms of their
nutrient and biochemical composition. It has
focused on this nutri-biochemical level of
engagement with food and the body, and on
identifying relationships between nutrients on
the one hand, and particular health conditions,
biological markers (i.e., biomarkers), and
biochemical processes of the body on the other.”
(Scrinis, 2008)

9. R E D U C T I O N I S M
When the component parts of a
complex whole are used to better
understand (and promote) the
complex whole.

10. ✤ “…it takes the
nutrient out of context
of the food, the food
out of context of the
diet, and the diet out
of context of the
lifestyle.”
(Pollan, 2008)
R E D U C T I O N I S M

11. BUT.

14. How?

15. (credit: Laurel Richardson)
Take Three Words v. 1

16. Memorization not comprehension.
This is difficult.
Is this difficult?
Bowl of peas.
“Eat more salad.”
“Organic equals health.”
“Blame the school.”
“Food here sucks.”
“I know this.”
No you don’t.
They’re not listening.
I’m not listening.
Where’s the gap?
Need more context.
Make it real.
Take Three Words

17. Take Three Words v. 1
(credit: Laurel Richardson)
Recall a time where you were frustrated by nutrition
programming (and perhaps outcomes weren’t what you
expected).
!
What were you feeling/thinking/hearing/saying/doing?

18. N E X T S T E P S ?
• Behavior Change
• Nutrition / Food

19. A D D I N G C O N T E X T A N D C O M P L E X I T Y
I.Students select a health behavior change based on family
history, self-assessments (not only dietary)
II.Students explore national/state/local data relative to
health behavior & associated outcomes
III.Students assess readiness to change
IV.Students select theory-based strategies for change,
appropriate to readiness levels
V.Students use photography to explore personal barriers to
change (again based on theoretical strategies)***

21. !
!
!
!
!
!

25. N U T R I T I O N / F O O D : N E E D S
Complexity
Context
Relevant content
Systemic consideration
Non-reductionist
Addresses barriers

27. W H O L E A N D
P R O C E S S E D
F O O D +
D I E TA RY
R E D U C T I O N I S M
L O C A L A N D
O R G A N I C
F O O D
M E AT
C O N S U M P T I O N
C O O K I N G I S
H E A LT H Y
Read Discuss Analyze
Cook +
Eat
Reflect

30. Critical Pedagogy

31. F O O D I N ( S E C U R I T Y )

32. F O O D I N S E C U R I T Y: O H I O
That’s Us!

33. F O O D I N S E C U R I T Y: O H I O
But…
17,000 +
individuals
more individuals than these (and more)…

34. Delaware County (OH) Hunger Alliance:
https://www.liveuniteddelawarecounty.org/take-action/hungeralliance
!
Ohio Wesleyan University Dept. of Health & Human Kinetics:
http://hhk.owu.edu
!
Cooking Matters:
http://cookingmatters.org
!
Share Our Strength:
https://www.nokidhungry.org
!
Local Matters:
http://www.local-matters.org
!
Delaware City Vineyard Church:
http://delawarecityvineyard.org

35. O H I O W E S L E YA N U N I V E R S I T Y
D E PA R T M E N T O F H E A LT H &
H U M A N K I N E T I C S

39. “I came into this thinking that food insecurity only affected the
less fortunate and the lazy. I have come to learn I couldn’t have
been more wrong….I have come to learn that food and
nutrition is one of the first things people are willing to
sacrifice…”.
I N C R E A S E D A WA R E N E S S
– L . C .
“The circumstances (of food insecurity)…do not define the
individual. What matters most is how individuals deal with the
struggles involved with being food insecure.”
– M . R .

40. “Compared to the beginning of the semester, I now have a
much clearer view of food insecurity in Delaware. I’ve
learned that everyone experiencing food insecurity has a
different story. The statistics serve as a good point of
reference, but the numbers are exclusive. You can never
really understand food insecurity unless you see it first
hand…”
P O W E R O F S T O R I E S
– A . E .

41. “This class helped me to bridge the gap between my
university and the surrounding community, something that a
lot of classes and even universities fail to incorporate into the
curriculum. I think you learn so much more through experience
than you could ever learn in a traditional lecture-based course.
I’ve learned that…people in my community struggle and
sacrifice to put food on the table for their families. Sometimes
their own health and nutrition are the first to go. I believe that
every human being should have access to healthy food
regardless of income or residence. And now I know that this
isn’t always the case.
T H O U G H T F U L A C T I O N
– A . E .

42. “This experience has influenced the way I perceive my
responsibilities and roles. I feel responsible for using the tools
I have learned when researching other topics. Also, I feel
responsible for being aware of my own bias and for
researching topics that I don’t understand. I see my
professional and personal role as teaching others tools for
healthy lifestyle habits, and I have become interested in
programs that allow for community and social connection.
Consequently, this has also caused me to consider the need
for thoughtful program design. I believe it is possible to
use programs as a tool to help others feel satisfied and
connected in life.”
T H O U G H T F U L A C T I O N
– A . A .

43. (Non) nomothetic criteria
!
Non-Reductionist
!
Critical Pedagogy + Learning

44. Take Three Words v. 2
(credit: Laurel Richardson)
Consider the key concepts we’ve explored so far:
!
(Non)-nomothetic Criteria / Behaviors
Non-reductionism
Critical Pedagogy + Learning
How do these concepts and the idea of
applying these concepts strike you? What
does it make you think about?

45. C O L L A B O R AT I O N
What is collaboration to you?
“working together”
!
“working together toward a common objective”
!
“creates a new value, not achievable by oneself
or in traditional teamwork structures”
!
“brings diverse individuals with unique expertise
together…”

46. “Cooking up” collaboration
http://chefsequipmentemporium.com/chefs/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Wok-Cooking.jpg

47. C O L L A B O R AT I O N
Physical space
Synergistic ideas and activities
Aligned goals
Capacity sharing
Resource and network utilization
Some characteristics:
Unique features of this program:
Reliance - the role of the true “stake”
Need before collaboration

48. S O C I A L E C O L O G I C A L M O D E L

49. Final Discussion
(you can take more than three words)
Consider the two three word tasks and any other
concepts through this presentation:
!
What’s next?
!
How could your second “Take Three Words” aid in
your frustrations from your first “Take Three Words?”
!
How could collaboration, as you now see it, be an aid?

50. T H A N K Y O U !

51. H T T P : / / W W W. S L I D E S H A R E . N E T / C H R I S T O P H E R F I N K