Adams, Karen R.

English

University of Montana

University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Syllabi Course Syllabi Summer 6-1-2005 PSC 395.80: Food and Politics Karen R. Adams University of Montana - Missoula, karen.adams@umontana.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/syllabi Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Recommended Citation Adams, Karen R., "PSC 395.80: Food and Politics" (2005). Syllabi. 6406. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/syllabi/6406 This Syllabus is brought to you for free and open access by the Course Syllabi at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Syllabi by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact scholarworks@mso.umt.edu. Political Science 395-80 Professor Adams Summer 2005 Office Hours: Daily, after class M-F 1:10-4:00 Office: 353 Liberal Arts LA 337 Office Phone: 243-2105 karen. adams@umontana.edu ,, Food and Politics , Course Description and Objectives This course explores the local, national, and international politics of food. Topics include hunger and taste; food production, aid, and trade; sustainability; and community agriculture. li1 considering these . themes, we will use a variety of pedagogical tools, including readings, films, discussions, guest speakers, and field trips.,. Course Texts There is one required book, which is available for purchase at the UC Bookstore: Frances Moore Lappe andAnna Lappe, Hope8 Edge (New York: Penguin, 2003). Course Requirements You are expected to attend class daily and complete all of the required reading before each class. Because the class lasts just one week and meets for three hours each day, this is even more important than during the regular school year. Grading Your grade in the class will be deterrµ.ined as follows: 50% attendance (10 pts per day) 25 %participation (5 pts per day) 25 %daily reaction papers (5 pts per day) The plus/minus grading system will be used. Grades may be curved, but the following distribution is the lowest I will use (i.e., ifyou earn 92% of all possible points you are assured of an A in the course): 92-100 A 82-87 B 72-77 c 62-67 D 90-91 A- 80-81 B- 10-11 c~ 60-61 D­88-89 B+ 78-79 c+ 6$-69 D+ 0-59 F Make-Up Policy I will accept make-up work only in the event of extreme, documented emergencies. If you find yourself in the midst of an emergency, it is your responsibility to notify me as soon as possible (before class if possible) that you will be unable to attend class. To do so, call me or send me an email explaining the circumstances of your emergency and giving me a way to contact you. I reserve the right to deny petitions for make-up work, and to administer makeup assignments substantially different from the regular ones. I. Introduction (6/27) Topics: Course overview and introductions Hunger and taste Required Reading: Hope's Edge, Opening Note, Prologue, and Chs 1 & 2 Missoula Food Bank website, http://www.missoulafoodbank.org/InformationPages/MainPage.htm Recommended Reading: Food First, "12 Myths about Hunger," http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/1998/s98v5n3 .html FAO, Food Security Map, http://www.fao.org/es/ess/faostat/foodsecurity/FSMap/map 14.htm World Food Summit, website, http://www.fao.org/monitoringprogress/index en.html Food First, "Beyond the Food Bank," http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/2004/f04v 1 On4.html Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation (excerpt and review available at http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schlosser-fast.html) Alice Waters interview (video), http://www.epicurious.com/features/chefs/waters/video/part4/ Field Trip: Missoula Food Bank (2:30-3:30) for a tour and discussion II. Food Production & Aid, Part I (6/28) Topics: Mechanization, concentration, and export orientation Subsidies, foreign aid, and land reform Countries discussed: US, Brazil, Bangladesh, India (Kerala), Sudan Required Reading: Hope's Edge, Chs 3, 4, 5 Recommended Reading: USDA, "Food Ma'rket,Structlires" (production), http://www.ers. usda. gov/Briefing/F oodMarketStructures/industryorg.htm USDA, "Food Market Structures" (economic impact), http://www.ers. usda. gov/Briefing/F oodMarketStructures/foodandfiber.htm MT Agricultural Statistics Service, http://www.nass.usda.gov/mt/ -- click on General Info, then MT Facts and Figures MT Agricultural Statistics Service, http://www.nass.usda.gov/mt/ -- click on General Info, then MT & US Ag Exports MT Agricultural Statistics Service, http://www.nass.usda.gov/mt/ -- click on County Profiles, 2003, Missoula Film: "The Politics of Food" (2 hours) 2 III. Food Production & Aid, Part II ( 6/29) Topics: Green revolution, genetic modification, and organics Community agriculture Countries discussed: India, EU, Kenya, US Required Reading: Hope's Edge, Chs. 6, 7 Garden City Harvest, website, http://www.gardencityharvest.org/ Recommended Reading: PAO, "Women & the Green Revolution," http://www.fao.org/FOCUS/E/Women/green-e.htm Green Belt Movement, website, http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/index.php Christopher Cook, "Plowing for Profits," In These Times, http://www. inthesetimes .com/ site/main/ article/2009 I Greg Lucas, "Frankenseeds," California Journal, June 2004, available through Lexis Nexis Field Trip: Garden City Harvest: PEAS Farm, Community Garden, & Youth Harvest IV. 	Food Trade (6/30) Topics: Free trade, fair trade, slow food, community agriculture, and worker rights Countries discussed: Central America, Holland, Belgium, France, US Required Readings: Hope's Edge, Chs 8, 9, 10 Recommended Readings: "The WTO under Fire," The Economist, 912012003, available through Lexis Nexis Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, "What is Fair Trade?," http://www.jrpc.org/Fair%20trade/FairTrade.html MCSCB Shade Grown Coffee Project, website, http://www.forestry.umt.edu/students/organizations/mtscb/SHADE.HTML Slow Food USA, website, esp. "About US" and "International Manifesto," http://www.slowfoodusa.org/about/ Eric Schlosser, "A Side Order of Human Rights," New York Times, April 6, 2005, available through Lexis Nexis Film: "Broken Limbs" (1 hour) Field Trip: Good Food Store, to meet with GFS personnel and Missoula Farmers Market organizers 3 .. V. Conclusion (7/1) Topics: Sustainability and community agriculture The future Required Readings: Hope's Edge, Ch 11 and Epilogue Alice Waters, "Letter to President Clinton and Vice President Gore," http://www.earthlight.org/al icewaters23 .html Reports of the Missoula County Community Food Assessment, http://www.umt.edu/cfa/ Guest Speaker: Bonnie Buckingham, a member of Missoula's Community Food and Agriculture Program 4 

PSC 395.80: Food and Politics

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PSC 395.80: Food and Politics

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