SX3505: WORLDS OF FOOD: BIOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, CULTURAL (2020-2021)

Worlds of Food provides a multi-disciplinary exploration of food through regular small-group tutorials, self-directed learning, and lectures by staff from across the University. No prior knowledge is assumed. The course draws on research in social science, biological science, philosophy, economics, history and nutritional science. It is structured broadly around the concept of food security (comprising production, availability and access), one of the key policy and resource issues facing the world.
The topics covered vary according to staff availability, but typically include:
- Food production, the environment and climate change
- Food and globalization in historical perspective
- Food governance and economics
- Food rights and ethics
- Food consumption and human health
- Influences on food choice
- Towards sustainable food futures
Worlds of Food has three intended learning outcomes, which are linked to tasks that count towards your overall grade for the course. Those three summatively assessed tasks are: an essay on a topic of your choice (subject to approval), worth 60% of your overall course grade; an analytical report based on the modelling of greenhouse gas emissions from farming, worth 20% of your overall course grade; and your contributions across the tutorial classes, worth 20% of your overall course grade.
The intended learning outcomes and assessments are set out in more detail below. By passing this course you will have demonstrated the ability to:
1. Write an academic essay that develops a topic of your devising which is relevant to the course and based primarily on peer-reviewed literature. Your choice of topic and literature will be guided by your tutor. You will demonstrate critical ability by evaluating and contrasting evidence and debates in the peer-reviewed literature with a view to constructing a persuasive and potentially original discussion.
2. Understand greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and some of the trade-offs involved when seeking to reduce them. You will gain supervised and independent experience of using environmental modelling software designed for use by non-specialists, and work through an exercise based on staff research interests. You will be encouraged to place the outputs you get from the environmental modelling software into their wider scientific and social contexts using the peer-reviewed literature; a starter list of references will be provided.
3. Participate actively and creatively in small-group discussions of topics relevant to the course, such as: food security; food trade; the right to food; and food choice. You will be encouraged to: listen actively to others; work in small teams to produce and present verbal summaries of materials specified by your tutor; and ‘think on your feet’ in asking relevant and penetrating questions and presenting cogent and persuasive defences of your own interpretations.

Taking Worlds of Food will help you to develop your graduate attributes. It targets, in particular:
• Breadth of knowledge, understanding and skills beyond your chosen discipline(s)
(Academic Excellence domain);
• Capacity for problem identification, the collection of evidence, synthesis and dispassionate analysis
(Critical Thinking & Effective Communication domain);
• Capacity for attentive exchange, informed argument and reasoning
(Critical Thinking & Effective Communication domain);
• Awareness of your personal strengths and weaknesses
(Learning & Personal Development domain);
• Awareness and appreciation of ethical and moral issues
(Active Citizenship domain).

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

There are no assessments for this course.