Learning Pathways - Food & Agriculture
Description
There is lots of interest in and debates about food and agriculture in our contemporary culture. This is evidenced by recent food crises, the evolution of foodie-dom, the popularity of cooking shows, growing alternative agricultural production and consumer movements, and the popularity of documentaries like Food Inc. This pathway is designed to engage students in these timely and important issues and to guide them toward finding food and agriculture-related courses from especially the humanities and social sciences.
Faculty
Kelly Kindscher, Environmental Studies - Co-Lead Faculty Member, Food & Agriculture
Paul Stock, Sociology - Co-Lead Faculty Member, Food & Agriculture
Chris Brown, Geography
Joseph Brewer, Environmental Studies
Shannon Criss, Architecture
Greg Cushman, History
Christopher Forth, History
Jane Gibson, Anthropology
Sara Gregg, History
Kate Meyer, Spencer Art Museum
Devon Mihesuah, History
Ivana Radovanovic, Anthropology (Archaeology)
Eric Rath, History
Ric G. Steele, Clinical Psychology
Donald D. Stull, Anthropology
Stacey Swearingen White, Urban Planning
Resources
Suggested Courses
Typically Offered Every Year
- EVRN 542 Ethnobotany
- Course will involve lectures and discussion of Ethnobotany - the mutual relationship between plants and traditional people. Research from both the field of anthropology and botany will be incorporated in this course to study the cultural significance of plant materials. The course has 7 main areas of focus: 1) Methods in Ethnobotanical Study; 2) Traditional Botanical Knowledge - knowledge systems, ethnolinguistics; 3) Edible and Medicinal Plants of North America (focus on North American Indians); 4) Traditional Phytochemistry - how traditional people made use of chemical substances; 5) Understanding Traditional Plant Use and Management; 6) Applied Ethnobotany; 7) Ethnobotany in Sustainable Development (focus on medicinal plant exploration by pharmaceutical companies in Latin America). (Same as ANTH 582 and ISP 542.) Prerequisite: ANTH 104, ANTH 108, EVRN 148, or consent of instructor. LEC.
The class is not offered for the Fall 2019 semester.
Typically Offered Every Two Years
- EVRN 519 Sociology of Global Food
- The Sociology of Global Food offers a critical examination of the global food system since the Industrial Revolution. Topics include the industrialization of agriculture, sustainable agriculture, and the role of food and agriculture in organizing society. This course discusses the emergence of current debates around food and agriculture including food activism, technological developments, human/environment relationships, and labor issues. There is a lab component to this course. (Same as SOC 519.) Prerequisite: Junior standing. LEC.
The class is not offered for the Fall 2019 semester.
- SOC 519 Sociology of Global Food
- The Sociology of Global Food offers a critical examination of the global food system since the Industrial Revolution. Topics include the industrialization of agriculture, sustainable agriculture, and the role of food and agriculture in organizing society. This course discusses the emergence of current debates around food and agriculture including food activism, technological developments, human/environment relationships, and labor issues. There is a lab component to this course. (Same as EVRN 519.) Prerequisite: Junior standing. LEC.
The class is not offered for the Fall 2019 semester.
- ANTH 542 Biology of Human Nutrition
- Lecture and discussion. A comprehensive introduction to human nutrition, focusing on the anatomical, biochemical, and physiological aspects of nutrition. The essential nutrients and their role in human metabolism are covered in detail, and the course's systemic approach places a strong emphasis on integration of metabolism. Students also are introduced to human dietary evolution, the concept of nutritional adaptation, and cross-cultural differences in diet and nutritional physiology. Discussion sections focus on applied aspects of human nutrition, including dietary assessment. The course is a prerequisite for ANTH 543, which is recommended as the second course in a sequence on human nutrition. Prerequisite: ANTH 104 or ANTH 304, and BIOL 152. Students who have not had BIOL 152 should have taken a comparable introductory course in organismal physiology. LEC.
The class is not offered for the Fall 2019 semester.
Typically Offered Less Than Every Two Years
- ANTH 543 Nutrition Through the Life Cyle
- The first half of the course focuses on nutrition through the life cycle, with an emphasis on biological, cultural, and environmental factors that influence human dietary intake and nutrition across the life span. Particular attention is given to the role of nutrition in cross-cultural variation in human growth, development, and aging. The second half of the course examines evolutionary aspects of human nutrition, including the origins and adaptive significance of regional and cultural basis. The development of taste and food preferences, at the level of the individual and population, as well as symbolic aspects of dietary behavior also will be considered. Prerequisite: ANTH 542 or permission of instructor. LEC.
The class is not offered for the Fall 2019 semester.
- ANTH 545 Contemporary Health Issues in Africa
- The course examines health and nutrition in African communities, using the methods of biological and medical anthropology. Fundamental to the approach taken in the course is the understanding that the health of human groups depends on interactions between biological and cultural phenomena in a particular ecological context. One topic will be selected per semester, to examine in detail the full array of epidemiological factors contributing to patterns of specific diseases. AIDS, childhood diseases, and reproductive health of African women are among possible topics. Course material will be selected from scholarly and medical publications, as well as coverage in the popular media. The use of a variety of sources will enhance understanding of the biological and cultural issues involved and will help students identify possible bias and misinformation in popular coverage of events such as famine or epidemic in African settings. (Same as AAAS 554.) Prerequisite: An introductory course in either anthropology or African studies. LEC.
The class is not offered for the Fall 2019 semester.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are interested in enrolling in one of the courses listed above, remember to check the Schedule of Classes or contact the offering department (e.g., Geography & Atmospheric Science) to verify that the course will be offered during the semester in which you plan to enroll in the course.
