Course Home Page for INTR 132 : Contemporary Global Issues
(This is an evolving document so check back occasionally for additions. especially as links to new material)
Class Time: MTuWThF 9am
Class Location: Parmly 114
Instructors:
Dr. Ronald Nigh
Office: Science Library, Level 4 (study room at back)
Email: nighr@wlu.edu
Office Hours: by appointment (usually right after class)
During the course we will be kindly supported by our Science Librarian
Dr. Hugh Blackmer
Phone: 458-8647
Office: Science Library
Email: Blackmer@wlu.edu
Course objectives
We are engaging in an experiment in learning and democracy. We will take advantage of new technologies to construct new ways of learning in a group setting. Our subject matter, contemporary global issues and especially those that loosely orbit around food and agriculture, is a thematic area that will allow us to coordinate our individual efforts and construct a learning community. We are more interested in learning how to learn as a group than we are in systematically covering a set amount of material. We are inspired by the notion that “Democracy begins in the classroom and the community. Students who direct their own learning can do so only by engaging the community. Just as it is impossible to learn effectively without engaging in discussion, consensus, and collaboration, it is equally impossible to engage in democratic collective action without a learning community.“ (Halavais). The role of the ‘professor’ here is not to ‘profess’ but rather to facilitate, to introduce the subjects and the tools and then participate in the community along with everyone else. We will each develop individual projects within the general thematic area and engage each other in dialogue to seek a new way of understanding the issues surrounding the globalization of food and agriculture.
Requirements:
- [1/2 of final grade] Project, in the form of a suite of Web pages, on a subject
to be negotiated, but dealing with an issue related food and agriculture in the
global context.
- You might analyze a commodity, such as corn, or cocoa and trace it through its chain from field to consumer,
- or you may prefer to look at a production or distribution issue such as factory hog farming, organic vegetable production or fair trade chocolate.
- Another possibility is to look at farming or food production in a certain area
of the world such as
California or Chile or the />//>Shenandoah valley//> (where does your food come from?)
- [1/3 of final grade] Assigned writing, some in class and some to be completed outside of class, often reactions to an assigned reading or a research exercise, all to be posted to your course Web pages (I'll use a check, checkplus, checkminus scheme, with zero for missed assignments and some lesser sanction for lateness)
- [1/6 of final grade] Log file and blog entries
- There won't be afinal exam.
Tentative schedule of topics
Week I
Monday,April 19
Some introductions. Who we are and what we will be doing. Introduction to seeing global patterns in the concrete and local: reading agricultural landscapes.
Assignment: Begin reading through some thoughts on Globalization from Prof. Blackmer’s Geography of Human Culture class
Tuesday, April 20
A look at some tools we will use
Assignment: Make a page and write a brief introduction to yourself and tell us (the professors and other students) a little about your interests, academic and otherwise and brief comment on your expectations, if any, for this course. Also, post a comment on the course blog. (Due tonight at 9pm)
Wednesday, April 21
Chiapas, where I work and what I do. (and a Video)
Assignment: Read the article by Lind and Barham 2004 to get a feel how the globalization and food come together in a local place like Chiapas.(Due 9am Friday) We will write something on this subject. If you would like to find out more than you would ever want to know about tortillas, take a look at Professor Blackmer's Collection on the subject!
Thursday, April 22
Checking everyone out. How to find stuff
Friday, April 23
Some initial notions about food, agriculture and globalizatio.
Assignment: Think about a food that you like or one that eat every day. Begin a collection (less than 10 items) of materials from off the web about that food. Write a brief meditation (a couple of paragaphs) on the 'social life' of that food. . Do you think that food is commodity? A basic right? What should we do if someone doesn't have enough to eat? Put these things together on a web page in your course page. (Due 9am Monday)
Week II
Monday, April 26
Report on first assignment.
Tuesday April 27
Resolving some technical issues. Video: The Multicultural Feast
Wednesday April 28
Theories of Crop Origins. (see notes on Crop Origins, Diversity and Disperals)
Thursday April 29
Importance of crop diversity
Friday April 30
Dispersal of crops and foods
Assignment: Take a food or crop (from previous assignment, for example) and investigate its origins and dispersal on the web. You may have all ready identified materials that have some of this information, but put them together and write a brief summary of the natural history of your crop or food. (Place it on your log page).
Week III
Monday & Tuesday
Report on assignments
Wednesday, 5 de mayo
Video: The Global Banquet: Politics of Food
Thursday, May 6
Symbiosis I. video: Life in the Soil
Friday, May 7
Symbiosis II. See notes on symbiosis
Assignment: Comment on class blog entry 'Politics of Food' What do you think US trade and agriculture policies should be? (Due Monday, 9am)
Week IV
Monday - Visitors
Tuesday - Some more about soils
Wednesday Ag & trade policy discussions
Thursday - organic agriculture resources
Friday - Future farming
Some web resources for organic and sustainable agriculture and Factory Farming
Week V
Monday - visiting professor Dr. Juan Aguirre, Costa Rica
Tuesday - Future of farming video Mut Vitz
Wednesday - Food and Health I - some resources here
Thursday - Food and Health II
Friday - Visit, Kippy Nigh, La Casa del Pan, Chiapas