Yingkun Hou, Ph.D.
Instructor — History & Anthropology
Education:
- Ph.D. in Anthropology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- M.A. in Anthropology, The University of Southern Mississippi
- B.E. in Viticulture and Enology, China Agriculture University
- B.A. in English, China Agriculture University
Experience:
I am a Food Anthropologist with a special interest in the sensory experience and cultural implications of tea and wine tasting. I hold a B.E. in Viticulture and Enology and worked as a wine educator/taster in China for a few years. Before becoming an anthropologist, I gained extensive experience in the wine industry. For my master’s degree, I conducted fieldwork in the US on craft beer culture, and for my Ph.D., I researched the tea-tasting culture in China. In addition to my anthropological work, I have also translated articles and books from English into Chinese. My work focuses on the intersection of taste and culture, exploring how sensory experiences shape and are shaped by cultural practices.
Courses I teach:
- Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- Methods and Theories in Cultural Anthropology
- Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology
- Anthropology of Religion
- Modern Chinese Culture
- Methods and Topics in Social Science
Academic Interests and Specialties:
- Anthropological Theory/Ethnographic Inquiry
- Social Anthropology
- Food and the Senses
- Material Culture and Popular Culture
- Wine/tea tasting
Reviews I wrote on Food Anthropology Blog:
2024 Review of David Inglis and Anna-Mari Almila eds. “The Globalization of Wine.” FoodAnth: Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition (online blog).
2020 Review Thesis: “Tasting in Mundane Practices” FoodAnth: Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition (online blog).
2018 Review of Jinghong Zhang, “Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic.” FoodAnth: Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition (online blog).
Books I translated: