- Seeds of Change: Food, Culture and Work

Institution:

The Evergreen State College

Subject:

Description:

Faculty: Martha Rosemeyer (agricultural ecology), Tony Zaragoza (political economy), Alice Nelson (Latin American cultural studies) Major areas of study include food systems, agricultural ecology, history, political economy, race and labor studies, literature and cultural studies. Class Standing: This Core program is designed for freshmen. We all eat to live, but how often do we stop to ask where our food comes from How was it grown Who cultivated and harvested it How did it arrive at our tables Do we all have the same access to food How have the migration of workers to harvest food, as well as their movements for social justice, created new forms of culture, from protest songs to teatro campesino ( farmworkers' theater) This program seeks to address these questions by examining the intersections of food ecology, labor history and cultural change. Fall quarter will focus on three specific commodities: apples, bananas and sugar. In each case, we will explore a given crop as it has impacted environmental, economic, social and cultural relationships over time. For example, apples are a crop that symbolizes Washington state nationally and internationally. We will study the ecological conditions for cultivating this crop, its environmental impact, the ways it is harvested and traded, how workers have attempted to organize themselves, and the literature and art that have aided their social movements. We will explore how systems of power-involving race, class and gender, among others-shape work, access to food, governmental policy and environmental sustainability. During a field trip to Eastern Washington, we hope to talk with workers during the fall apple harvest, and hear from local artists and poets about their cultural work relating to agricultural life and social change. During fall quarter, a typical week will involve lectures, seminar discussions, films and workshops on quantitative reasoning and expository writing. Students will write frequent essays about readings in environmental science, social science and the humanities. Basic concepts in these fields will emerge from our case studies. In addition to the field trips, there will be a few organized opportunities for putting our learning into action through volunteer work with local non-profit groups focusing on food issues. In winter quarter, we will further develop our understanding of concepts introduced in the fall, moving from specific crops to a larger view of intersecting social and environmental systems. Throughout winter quarter, we will continue to have seminars, lectures and field trips as a program. In addition, students will research crops of their own choosing, developing case studies along the lines we explored together in the fall. During the quarter, there will be workshops in qualitative and quantitative research methods to support students' projects. Students will have the opportunity to present their learning to the larger community, first in the form of posters or short skits about food issues, and later in a more formal research presentation at the quarter's end. During the spring, students will bridge theory and practice by combining their continuing studies on campus and through field trips with internships at community organizations. Students will focus on specific topics with faculty and will meet together to discuss their community-based learning. Total: 16 credits each quarter. Enrollment: 69 Internship Possibilities: Spring quarter with faculty approval. Special Expenses: Approximately $75 each quarter for field trip expenses. Program is preparatory for careers and future studies in food systems or agriculture, political economy and cultural studies.

Credits:

16.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.evergreen.edu

Phone Number:

(360) 867-6170

Regional Accreditation:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Calendar System:

Quarter

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