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Study information

Politics of Food and Farming

Module titlePolitics of Food and Farming
Module codeANT3055
Academic year2024/5
Credits15
Module staff

Professor Michael Winter (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

20

Module description

There are no more fundamental requirements for human beings that than that of bodily sustenance through the consumption of food. The module will provide you with an understanding of how the nature and content of the food we eat is driven by a range of cultural, economic and political forces. We will start with some history as we seek to explain how the immutable requirement for food has combined with population growth, technological change, and changing consumer demand to shift our relationship with food from the immediacy of hunter gathering or subsistence agriculture to the complexities of the contemporary global agro-food system. We will look at both the empirical evidence of transitional change and the theoretical explanations of food systems and networks developed by social scientists. However, our evidence sources will not be confined to social science because, in order to understand the politics of food, we need to understand various natural processes. For example, what does growing food - especially with modern agricultural technology - do to the land and the environment? How is human health affected by the move towards processing and manufacture of food? And in both these cases, and others, how does often contested evidence feed into political campaigns and policy initiatives? No prior knowledge skills or experience are needed to take this module. The module is suitable for interdisciplinary pathways.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to provide an understanding of how what we eat is influenced by social, cultural and political drivers. The module makes use of a wide range of published papers and reports and benefits from the module convenor’s direct policy engagement and research commissioned by Government. While the primary focus is on the United Kingdom, many of the issues relate to global trends and pressures.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of key issues in the politics of food, agriculture and the environment
  • 2. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the societal responses to the challenges that arise from these issues

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 3. Locate, use and analyse secondary primary data relevant to the specific issue areas
  • 4. Undertake inter-disciplinary social science analysis

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills through readings and class discussions
  • 6. Develop the ability to place issues discussed in a wider context and deploy critical arguments
  • 7. Conduct research on a topic and organize findings in written form in a compelling manner

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

  • History of Food Supply.
  • Food and the State: Twentieth century perspectives.
  • Contemporary Political Economy of Global Food.
  • Food and Agriculture: Supply Chains, Pressure Groups and Government.
  • Food and Human Identity.
  • Contested Food: The Politics of Diet and Nutrition.
  • Contested Food: The Politics of Farming and the Environment.
  • Contested Food: The Politics of New Technologies.
  • The Future for Food.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity222 hours per week for 11 weeks. Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussion. Each week's session will require pre-reading by the participants and will be interspersed with discussion points and interaction.
Guided Independent Study56Weekly reading for each week’s lecture
Guided Independent Study12Preparation for Research Paper Proposal
Guided Independent Study40Preparation for Research Paper
Guided Independent Study20Exam preparation

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Research Paper Proposal500 words1-2Tutorial

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
70300

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Research Paper702,500 words1-7Written and tutorial feedback
Exam301 hour1-2, 6Written
0
0
0
0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Research PaperResearch paper (2,500 words)1-7August/September reassessment period
ExamExam (1 hour)1-2, 6August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Clapp, J. (2012) Food. Cambridge: Polity.

Lobley, M. Winter, M. and Wheeler, R. (2019) The Changing World of Farming in Brexit UK. London: Routledge.

Mason, P. and Lang, T. (2017) Sustainable Diets. London: Routledge.

Murcott, A. Belasco, W. and Jackson, P.  (Eds.), The Handbook of Food Research. London: Bloomsbury.

Key words search

Food, farming, sustainability, diets, nutrition

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

6

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

13/02/2020

Last revision date

13/02/2020