Soc CD 470 Senior Seminar: Food and Social Change
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Spring 2007
Instructor: Dr. Lynn Walter
Instructor Email:
walterl@uwgb.edu Course
Schedule: 2-3:15 TR
Office: MAC B308 Classroom: MAC 225
Class
description: This course is the capstone seminar for
majors and minors in Social Change and Development. Since it is a seminar, the expectations are
that students will pursue independent research and writing related to the
seminar topic, will lead discussions of the readings, and will participate
fully as discussion participants, leaders,
and presenters. The focus for
this semester’s offering of the seminar is food and social change.
Texts:
Schlosser, Eric 2002. Fast Food Nation (
Levenstein,
Harvey 2003. Paradox of Plenty (
Articles (on
E-reserve):
Belasco, Warren
2005. “Food and the Counterculture: A
Story of Bread and Politics” In The
Cultural Politics of Food and Eating, James L. Watson and Melissa L.
Caldwell, eds.,
Brumberg, Joan
Jacobs and Ruth Striegel-Moore 2002. “Continuity and Change in Symptom Choice:
Anorexia” In Food in the
Field, Debbie
1999. “Putting Food First: Women’s Roles
in Creating a Grassroots Food System outside the Marketplace” In Women Working the NAFTA Food Chain,
Deborah Barndt, ed.,
Friedman, Harriet
1999. “Remaking “Traditions”: How We Eat, What We Eat and the Changing
Political Economy of Food” In Women
Working the NAFTA Food Chain, Deborah Barndt, ed.,
Middendorf,
Gerad; Skladany, Mike; Ransom, Elizabeth; and
Nestle, Marion
2002. “Hunger in the
Roseberry,
William 2002. “The Rise of Yuppie Coffees and the Reimagination of Class in the
Thompson, Becky
Wangsgaard 2002. “”A Way Outa No Way” Eating Problems among African-American,
Latina, and White Women” In Food in the
USA, A Reader, Carole M. Counihan, ed., New York: Routledge, pp. 219-30..
Research
topics: Select a specific social change issue about
food, which will be the focus of a research paper, written in three
sections. Some broad issues would
include, for example,: 1. food security;
2. hunger and malnutrition; 3. concentration of ownership in commodity
production and merchandizing; 4. environmental costs of food production; 5.
overconsumption and eating disorders; 6. working conditions and wages in food
production and merchandizing; 7. food safety; 8. food quality in general, or in
specific institutions, such as schools or prisons; 9. health and food
consumption patterns; 10. identity, sociability and eating practices; 11.
welfare of farm animals 12. the impact of globalized agrifood systems on local
agriculture and farm and peasant communities.
Within one of these broad issues (or some other one, with the
instructor’s approval), you should focus on a more specific one in a specific
region of the world.
Interviews:
For
at least one part of your term paper, you will conduct an interview with
someone whose work involves your issue in a practical ways. For example, you
might interview a local farmer who is using sustainable agricultural practices;
a restaurateur, community gardener, or grocer serving specific populations
underserved by the predominant forms; someone involved in the development or
promotion of new food products; people directing food banks or soup kitchens;
leaders of community organizations addressing your issue; etc. Turn in a typed transcript of your interview
with the paper that for which you use the information from the interview.
Term
Paper:
Your
term paper will be written in three parts.
Each part should have its own bibliography listing all the references
cited in your paper. Each part should be
5-6 pages, double-spaced pages. You should use and cite the class readings in
your research paper along with other sources.
You should include sources from refereed professional journal
articles. For each page that you cite, whether from a book, a journal article, or
web page, you must turn in a copy of that page with your term paper.
Section
I: Historical Perspectives on Food and Social Change: 1. Describe the issue and its significance
for the specific region of the world you are focusing your research on. What are the most important changes in the
your issue since 1950? Why have these
changes occurred?
Section
II: Comparative Perspectives on Food and Social Change In what ways do differential access to resources
and power affect your issue? Consider
not only the size of the commodity
producing or merchandizing enterprise but also such variables as
culture, class, gender, race, ethnicity, and the global position of the
country.
Section
III: Critical Perspectives on Food and Social Change What criticisms do people in the region have
of the current conditions with respect to this issue? In what ways are people
trying to promote social change to address this issue? Is their analysis of the
problem and their strategies for addressing adequate and effective? Explain.
Discussion Participation
Minimal participation is your presence and some
participation with indications that you have read the class readings. This is
C-level participation.
Good participation is your presence and
regular involvement in the discussion and indications that you have read and
understood the class readings. This is B-level participation.
Excellent participation is your presence
and regular involvement in the discussion with indications that you have read
and understood the class readings. In
addition, excellent participation 1) demonstrates that you have identified the
critical questions 2) addresses these questions and 3) furthers the conversation
by attending to other class participants’ ideas. This is A-level participation.
Discussion Leadership
You will be expected to lead the
discussion of certain readings and to present your papers orally during the
class periods allotted to oral presentations.
Grading:
Section
I of Term Paper 25%
Section
II of Term Paper 25%
Section
III of Term Paper 25%
Discussion
Participation and Leadership 25%
Schedule
of
Week
One: Introduction to the Seminar
Jan.
16 & 18
Week
Two: History of Food Practices in the
Discussion
of Term Paper Topics
Jan.
23 & 25
Week
Three: History (continued)
Jan.
30 & Feb. 1
Topic
paper due on Wednesday, Feb.1. Turn in a
one-page statement of the problem, the region, and why it is a significant
problem in the region.
Week
Four: Culture and Food
Feb.
6 & 8
Schlosser, Introduction, Chapters 1-2
Film: “Supersize Me”
Week
Five: Labor and Class
Feb.
13 & 15
Roseberry
Section
I of Term Paper due Wednesday, Feb. 15
Week Six:
Food Quality and Safety
Feb.
20 & 22
Week
Seven: Global Perspectives
Feb.
27 & Mar. 1
Friedman
Film:
“Black Gold”
Week
Eight: Hunger
Mar.
6 & 8
Spring
Break: March 10-18
Week
Nine: Eating Disorders
Mar.
20 & 22
Thompson
Section
II of Term Paper due on Wednesday, March 21
Week
Ten: Biotechnologies
Mar.
27 & 29
Week
Eleven: Strategies for Social Change
Apr.
3 & 5
Week
Twelve: Strategies for Social Change (continued)
Apr.
10 & 12
Week Thirteen Presentation of Papers
Apr.
17 & 19
Section
III of Term Paper due on Monday, April 17.
Week Fourteen Presentation of Papers
Apr.
24 & 26
Week Fifteen Presentation of Papers
May
1 & 3
May
7 Make-up Day
Consistent with the federal
law and the policies of the