Through the lens of social history, the course examines the origins of binary, gendered attitudes to food and its preparation in the West and how these still affect contemporary food behavior. The thesis is that these foodways are primarily a social construction. These dietary beliefs are rooted in eighteenth-century theories of sex-based biological determinism, reinforced by middle-class attitudes about work and child-rearing. The class examines the cult of motherhood; “masculine” and “feminine” foods and beverages; gendered forms of socializing; food-sharing and preparation as a form of acquiring social capital; food service behavior and employment; issues of self-control; and both individual and social eating disorders. To conclude, the course considers whether more fluid conceptions of gender are impacting Western foodways. Students examine both primary and secondary sources that discuss how men and women should—and do—make food decisions. Among these are advertisements, behavior guides, video and film, press accounts, medical and dietary manuals as well as academic sources.