Food Geographies
How do food and eating shape our social relationships and our understandings of environment and place? Where does our food come from, and what does it take to get it to us? These questions are fundamentally geographic. Exploring how food is produced, distributed, and consumed leads to a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between societies and environment. The understanding, interpretation, and analysis of these relationships define the discipline of human geography. In this course we will take a critical approach to the study of food across multiple scales, from food systems in Vermont to the global political economy of food. We will explore the political, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of food in particular spaces, places, environments, contexts, and regions, providing an advanced introduction to key concepts and modes of analysis in human geography. 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc.

Fall 2012, Fall 2013

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Political Ecologies of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
Since the 1990s, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been at the center of debates about the future of food, agriculture, and the environment. In this course we will learn how genetically modified crops and seeds have been burned, have been banned, and have made billions of dollars for global seed companies. We will also discuss the central role of GMOs in struggles over biodiversity, risk, property rights, policy, food labeling, and access to information all over the world. We will use the framework of political ecology framework to study the political, social, economic, and environmental factors related to the spread of GMOs. 3 hrs. lect.

Spring 2013

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Geographic Perspectives on International Development
This class is an exploration of some of the key concepts, theories, ideologies, and practices of international development as they relate to issues of environmental and social change. We will approach these “ways of knowing” about development and the environment through three topics: (1) “natural” disasters; (2) oil; and (3) waste. For each of these topics we will draw on multiple case studies across the world including Haiti, New Orleans, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and South Africa. These case studies will help us to more fully discuss and understand the dynamics of who does development, how, where, why, and with what results. With each of the themes we will examine different practices of international development, including post-disaster international aid, the shipping and dumping of waste, and environmental conflicts in the everyday lives of people in oil-rich areas of the world. This approach will allow us to break down mainstream discourses of development and “sustainability,” critically examine development practice, and imagine alternative approaches to development. 3 hrs. lect.

Fall 2012, Fall 2013

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Geography of South Asia: Youth
In this course we will explore the idea of regions through the representations and history of the area of the world referred to as South Asia, viewed through the lens of Geographies of Youth. Geographies of Youth is the study of how social and economic transformations, operating from the global scale to everyday local activities, are altering young people’s lives. We will use key concepts from geography, such as scale, space, place, identity, and context to explore everyday experiences of young people in Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Focusing on the themes of politics, education, and work, we will consider connections among young people in these places and students at Middlebury. 3 hrs. lect.

Spring 2013

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Independent Study
A one-credit intensive research project developed under the direction of a faculty member. Junior majors only. (Approval Required)

Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014

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Senior Research
A one-credit intensive research project developed under the direction of a faculty member. Senior majors only. (Approval Required)

Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014

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Senior Thesis
Students with a departmental GPA of 3.3 or higher are eligible to complete a two-credit senior thesis. In order to complete a senior thesis, students must have a proposal approved by a primary thesis advisor and a secondary departmental reader prior to registering for the first 0701 credit. Upon completion of the thesis, thesis students will present their work in a public seminar and defend the thesis in front of the departmental faculty. Thesis presentations and defenses will typically take place during the final week of classes or the examination period. Upon completion of the presentation and defense, the primary advisor and secondary departmental reader will be responsible for evaluating and grading the thesis. It is strongly encouraged that students considering a thesis discuss their ideas with an advisor during the semester prior to registering for formal thesis credits. (Approval only)

Winter 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014

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