Yale Hosts Conference on the Natural and Cultural History of the Chicken

An international three-day conference on the chicken-from cultural icon to mass-produced commodity-is taking place this weekend, May 17-19, at Yale University.

The ubiquitous chicken offers a unique view of the indigenous culture of which it is part. Conference participants hope to explore the fowl’s natural and cultural history to better understand the transformations of agriculture, cuisine, health, biodiversity and labor associated with its domestication, production and consumption.

“The Chicken: Its Biological, Social, Cultural and Industrial History from Neolithic Middens to McNuggets” will bring together scholars, agronomists, chicken growers, industry representatives and activists from the labor, farm, animal welfare, environmental and public health movements, who have studied the economic, social, health and ecological consequences of poultry rearing from past to present.

“The Chicken and Globalization,” “The History of Breeds, Folklore and Symbolism” and “Learning from Chickens: Sanctuaries and Pasturized Farms” are among the topics that will be covered at the event.

The conference will include a small film festival, literary events, poetry readings, an exhibition of breeds and, of course, cuisine featuring real chicken and alternatives for friends of fowl. Jointly organized by the Program in Agrarian Studies and a committee of undergraduate and graduate students, the conference is sponsored by the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, the Institution for Social and Policy Studies and the Yale Center for International and Area Studies. For more information, visit the website: http://www.yale.edu/agrarianstudies/chicken