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Academic Writing Workshop
Everyday Practices and Meanings of Food in India:
An Academic Writing Workshop
August 2025 | Organised by Bihun Collective in Collaboration with Ad Hoc Group 03 – Food, Culture and Society, Indian Sociological Society | Virtual (Zoom)
Why This Workshop?
Food is more than what we eat – it’s a story, a memory, a tradition, a resistance, and a deep part of who we are. In India, food speaks of caste, class, gender, region, ecology, migration, and more. Yet, scholarly attention to food and its cultural meanings often remains on the margins.
This month-long academic writing workshop is for those who want to bring these rich food stories into academic and research-based writing. Whether you’re a Master’s student, early-stage researcher, or an independent scholar, this is your opportunity to engage deeply with the politics, poetics, and practice of writing about food.
Workshop Objectives
By participating in this workshop, you will:
- Develop an interdisciplinary understanding of food and food cultures in India through sociology, anthropology, history, political economy, and media studies
- Learn how to craft academically rigorous papers, blending narrative and analytical writing
- Gain hands-on experience with methodologies like oral histories, ethnography, archival research, and food documentation
- Work on your own writing project with guidance from mentors and feedback from peers
- Build a network of scholars, writers, and food researchers across disciplines
What Will You Learn?
Each session will include:
- A thematic seminar led by an expert academic (e.g. on oral histories, media, environment, food and identity)
- A writing practicum, where you will actively develop your paper with guidance
You will also receive:
- Curated reading materials and writing tools
- One-on-one feedback from mentors
- A resource packet including style guides, references, and publishing forums
Workshop
Schedule and Format
Duration:
1 August – 23 August 2025
Sessions:
8 sessions | Every Friday evening and Saturday morning
Modality:
Fully online via Zoom
Timing:
2 hours per session (1 hr thematic + 1 hr writing practicum)
Total Fee:
₹ 2,000 (covers all sessions, mentor feedback, and resource material)
Expected Outcomes
By the end of the workshop, you will have:
- A working draft of an academic paper or extended essay (3,000–5,000 words)
- Improved proficiency in academic writing, structuring arguments, and using evidence
- Feedback from experts to help revise and submit your work for publication or conferences
- A deeper understanding of food as a cultural and political subject
- Membership in a community of scholars interested in food and culture
Our Mentors & Speakers Include
Prof. Kiranmayi Bhushi
01 August 2025
(Anthropological and sociological perspectives)
(Anthropological and sociological perspectives)
Faculty Member, School of Sociology (SOSS), IGNOU
Prof. Kiran Bhushi is a distinguished sociologist whose research spans globalization, media‑mediated culture, transnationalism, diaspora studies, and the ethnography of food and eating. At IGNOU and Ambedkar University Delhi she both teaches and mentors, shaping new generations of social scientists. Beyond academia, she is an avid photographer and food enthusiast, capturing culinary cultures through her lens and indulging in experimental kitchen journeys.
Prof. Kiran Bhushi is a distinguished sociologist whose research spans globalization, media‑mediated culture, transnationalism, diaspora studies, and the ethnography of food and eating. At IGNOU and Ambedkar University Delhi she both teaches and mentors, shaping new generations of social scientists. Beyond academia, she is an avid photographer and food enthusiast, capturing culinary cultures through her lens and indulging in experimental kitchen journeys.
Sudha Nagavarapu
02 August 2025
(Historical and geographical dimensions shaping food systems)
(Historical and geographical dimensions shaping food systems)
Independent Consultant, Agriculture & Livelihoods Interventions
Sudha partners with grassroots organizations across Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to design and implement community‑led initiatives in agriculture, livelihoods, food and health. She’s spearheaded collaborative research on maternal health, neglected diseases, and food cultures, and co‑coordinated a pioneering project on farming transitions in western Avadh—resulting in academic papers, teaching modules, and a bilingual portal (avadh.foodcultures.org). Through “Sehat ka Bardana,” she champions the revival of millet‑based diets in central Uttar Pradesh.
Sudha partners with grassroots organizations across Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka to design and implement community‑led initiatives in agriculture, livelihoods, food and health. She’s spearheaded collaborative research on maternal health, neglected diseases, and food cultures, and co‑coordinated a pioneering project on farming transitions in western Avadh—resulting in academic papers, teaching modules, and a bilingual portal (avadh.foodcultures.org). Through “Sehat ka Bardana,” she champions the revival of millet‑based diets in central Uttar Pradesh.
Prof. Richa Kumar
08 August 2025
(Knowledge systems and emerging food narratives)
(Knowledge systems and emerging food narratives)
Associate Professor, Sociology & Science and Technology Studies, IIT Delhi
Richa Kumar examines the interplay between agriculture, technology and society—from the sociology of food and nutrition to rural policy. Her landmark book Rethinking Revolutions: Soyabean, Choupals and the Changing Countryside in Central India (OUP, 2016) and her co‑authored State of Rural and Agrarian India Report 2020 have shaped academic and policy debates. A TEDx speaker and documentary collaborator, she holds the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Memorial Award (2019) and the New India Fellowship (2010). She earned her PhD at MIT’s Science, Technology and Society Program.
Richa Kumar examines the interplay between agriculture, technology and society—from the sociology of food and nutrition to rural policy. Her landmark book Rethinking Revolutions: Soyabean, Choupals and the Changing Countryside in Central India (OUP, 2016) and her co‑authored State of Rural and Agrarian India Report 2020 have shaped academic and policy debates. A TEDx speaker and documentary collaborator, she holds the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Memorial Award (2019) and the New India Fellowship (2010). She earned her PhD at MIT’s Science, Technology and Society Program.
Prof. Dolly Kikon
9 August 2025
(Ethnographic writings on food)
(Ethnographic writings on food)
Professor, Department of Anthropology University of California, Santa Cruz
Dolly Kikon is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research focuses on resource extraction, militarisation, development, human rights, migration, gender, and political economy.
Dolly Kikon is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research focuses on resource extraction, militarisation, development, human rights, migration, gender, and political economy.
Dr. Sanchita Das
16 August 2025
(Oral Histories and qualitative research methods in understanding food cultures)
(Oral Histories and qualitative research methods in understanding food cultures)
Founder, Bihun Collective & Former Social Scientist, Johns Hopkins University
Sanchita Das’s ethnographic research blends climate vulnerability, local knowledge and food practices. Her PhD from TISS focused on livelihood adaptations of the Santal community in drought‑prone Purulia. She’s also mapped gendered digital access among women in Bihar, and as founder of Bihun Collective curates a digital archive spotlighting overlooked food traditions. Her scholarship bridges rigorous social science with community empowerment.
Sanchita Das’s ethnographic research blends climate vulnerability, local knowledge and food practices. Her PhD from TISS focused on livelihood adaptations of the Santal community in drought‑prone Purulia. She’s also mapped gendered digital access among women in Bihar, and as founder of Bihun Collective curates a digital archive spotlighting overlooked food traditions. Her scholarship bridges rigorous social science with community empowerment.
Dr. Ishita Dey
22 August 2025
(Environmental and political economy of food Systems)
(Environmental and political economy of food Systems)
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Sociology, South Asian University
Ishita Dey specializes in food biographies and the cultural meanings of taste across Bengal. At South Asian University (and formerly at Ambedkar University Delhi), she has designed courses on sociological theory, social stratification, and food politics. A member of the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group, her work traces how caste, labor and science intersect around sweets, and she’s expanded into research on migrant labor, special economic zones, and digital intimacies.
Ishita Dey specializes in food biographies and the cultural meanings of taste across Bengal. At South Asian University (and formerly at Ambedkar University Delhi), she has designed courses on sociological theory, social stratification, and food politics. A member of the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group, her work traces how caste, labor and science intersect around sweets, and she’s expanded into research on migrant labor, special economic zones, and digital intimacies.
Dr. Rituparna Patgiri
23 August 2025
( Media and digital representations of food)
( Media and digital representations of food)
Assistant Professor, Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT Guwahati
Rituparna Patgiri investigates the cultural politics of food, media, gender and pedagogy. She’s been honored with the Krishna Raj Fellowship, Wenner‑Gren and ICSSR grants, and leads the Indian Sociological Society’s Food, Culture and Society research group. Co‑founder of the “Doing Sociology” blog and Associate Editor for Society (Springer), she publishes widely across academic and public platforms. Currently, she’s at work on two edited volumes and a monograph.
Rituparna Patgiri investigates the cultural politics of food, media, gender and pedagogy. She’s been honored with the Krishna Raj Fellowship, Wenner‑Gren and ICSSR grants, and leads the Indian Sociological Society’s Food, Culture and Society research group. Co‑founder of the “Doing Sociology” blog and Associate Editor for Society (Springer), she publishes widely across academic and public platforms. Currently, she’s at work on two edited volumes and a monograph.
Dr. Hoineilhing Sitlhou
15 August 2025(Documentation and archival research methods)
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Hyderabad
Hoineilhing Sitlhou is a noted sociologist whose work explores the intersections of gender, ethnicity, and colonial history, with a focus on Northeast India. A PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, she currently serves as Associate Professor at the University of Hyderabad. She is the recipient of the prestigious M.N. Srinivas Award (2016) and the author of Deconstructing Colonial Ethnography: An Analysis of Missionary Writings on North East India and Kuki Women (2014). Her scholarship has appeared in leading journals such as EPW, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Indian Anthropologist, Asian Ethnicity, and more. Dr. Sitlhou brings a rich archival and ethnographic lens to her research—an approach that deeply informs her work on food cultures, memory, and documentation.
Hoineilhing Sitlhou is a noted sociologist whose work explores the intersections of gender, ethnicity, and colonial history, with a focus on Northeast India. A PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, she currently serves as Associate Professor at the University of Hyderabad. She is the recipient of the prestigious M.N. Srinivas Award (2016) and the author of Deconstructing Colonial Ethnography: An Analysis of Missionary Writings on North East India and Kuki Women (2014). Her scholarship has appeared in leading journals such as EPW, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Indian Anthropologist, Asian Ethnicity, and more. Dr. Sitlhou brings a rich archival and ethnographic lens to her research—an approach that deeply informs her work on food cultures, memory, and documentation.
Eligibility
This workshop is ideal for:
- Master's students and PhD researchers in social sciences, humanities, and allied fields
- Writers and cultural documenters exploring food themes
- Early-career academics and independent researchers
- Anyone deeply interested in studying food as a lens into society and culture
How to Apply
Applications are now open. Limited seats available.
To register:
- Click here to fill the application form and proceed with payment
- Shortlisted participants will be notified via email/WhatsApp
- Your seat is confirmed only after payment of the workshop fee (INR 2000)
- For any queries, please email us at: bihuncollective@gmail.com
Registration Closed
“Registration is closed for the August Batch, you may fill in the interest form here if you are interested to join our next batch starting in October 2025.”
Bihun-we tell a food tale is committed to creating meaningful impact through food. We are on a mission to tell stories of our regional food and ecological diversity, our native wisdom and champion local produce by highlighting women and communities, their cultural practices and indigenous knowledge.