20809292Agriculture, Food, and Society
Course Information
Description
Agriculture and food are clearly essential to supporting people. They are also fascinating and demand serious study because they can tell us much about the past, ourselves, and society. This interdisciplinary course seeks to do just that: shed light on how history, culture, and power relations are intertwined with agrofood systems throughout the world and in the United States. Toward that end, we will explore a wide range of topics, including the causes of famine in Africa, the power of the farm lobby in the U.S., efforts to connect justice with urban farming, the ecology of large-scale livestock production, and the relationship between colonialism and the creation of a global agrofood economy, among many more.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
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Strengthen critical thinking, research, writing, online presentation, and public speaking skillsAssessment StrategiesProjects, written product, online and in person presentationsCriteriaPresent complete, relevant evidence needed to support necessary aspects of an idea, claim, or recommendationProduce accurate interpretations of research gathered for a taskDetermine value of information, critically assessing its relevance and credibilitySeek additional information after recognizing the need for more clarification or supportEvaluate the usefulness of varied approaches to ideas, claims, or recommendationsCompare different points of view, considering them impartially and rationallyUse multiple methods of communication to convey meaning
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Use social science ideas and approaches (e.g., political economy, environmental justice) to critically examine agrofood systemsAssessment StrategiesExam, projectCriteriaIdentify the components of agrofood systemsDetermine influences of food production, marketing, distribution, andconsumptionIllustrate the use of labor in an agrofood systemDescribe environmental consequences related to food production, distribution, and consumptionInvestigate the intersection of politics, the economy, and food production, distribution, and consumption
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Interpret scholarly and public debates surrounding agrofood systemsAssessment StrategiesExam, projectCriteriaExamine the causes of famineRelate famine to food distribution, socio-economic status, and politicsRecognize the varying interpretations of famineCompare varying interpretations of genetically modified foodTrack the industrialization of food production and how this model diffused throughout the worldDescribe the political influence and purpose of the agri-business farm lobby in the United StatesWeigh the pros and cons of organic food production and local food economies
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Analyze agrofood systems throughout the world and how they have changed over timeAssessment StrategiesExam, projectCriteriaExamine beginnings of agricultural systems in pre-colonial timesCorrelate colonial policies to changing food production practicesIdentify continuing colonial policies that exist today and explain why they existAnalyze consequences of neo-colonial practices in food production practicesRelate agrofood systems to geography, environment, and social variables (e.g., swidden cultivation in the tropics)
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Relate agrofood systems to processes and institutions associated with globalizationAssessment StrategiesExam, projectCriteriaExamine global networks of exchangeDocument the emergence of a global economy and its effect on foodAnalyze the impact of colonial networks of exchange on food production, distribution, and consumptionDescribe the influence of global institutions and their policies on agricultural systems
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Describe how race, gender, class, and ethnicity are intertwined with agrofood systems and dietAssessment StrategiesExam, projectCriteriaExamine the influence of women in food productionRelate race, gender, class, and ethnicity to food choiceUncover stereotypes related to class and foodCompare patterns of race, gender, class, and ethnicity in the food production workforceIdentify factors influencing diet, such as social variables, and how factors dictate diet choice
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Investigate agrofood systems and their relationship to social justice and ecological sustainabilityAssessment StrategiesExam, projectCriteriaEvaluate agricultural systems based on sustainabilityAnalyze the environmental impact of agricultural systemsIdentify components of Fair Trade and their impact on farmers, laborers, and consumersCompare conventional and Fair Trade practices in agrofood systemsDiscuss the rise of urban agricultureConnect urban agriculture to social justiceCompare patterns between rural and urban agrofood systems
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Execute a commodity chain analysis of one agricultural commodityAssessment StrategiesExam, Wiki pageCriteriaProvide historical background on one agricultural commodityIdentify cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of the people who 1) initially produced the commodity and 2) produce the commodity todayDetermine the people and places that benefitted from the production of the commodityDescribe the importance of the commodity in today’s economyAnalyze recent pricing of the commodity in relationship to farmer prices and consumer pricesDetermine if trade agreements or policies affect the commodityResearch how production of the commodity impacts the environmentExplain how the commodity earned Fair Trade certification, if applicableWiki includes a map of the country where commodity is producedWiki includes a stand-alone picture of the commodityWiki includes a picture of the farmers who currently produce the commodityWiki includes at least one image from the company selling the commodityWiki is supported by at least five external sources, including at least one book, one article from a peer-reviewed journal, and one newspaper or magazine storyWiki references are cited using the MLA format
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Situate a local agrofood economy within course themes and ideasAssessment StrategiesWritten product, oral presentationCriteriaSelect one component of a community’s agrofood economy to research and visitSummarize background information on your location (e.g., when it was founded, who it serves, business structure, labor organization, mission, values, and goals).Describe your motivations for selecting the locationDescribe your experience visiting the locationPresent findings from the questions you sought to addressSituate your research within at least three themes underscored in classPaper is 2-3 double-spaced pages, but no more than fourPaper uses Times New Roman, 12-point fontPresentation is approximately 10 minutes and includes images and essential text