AESC 2050 – Effects of Global Agriculture on World Culture (Spring 2021)
This course, the Effects of Global Agriculture on World Culture, served as one of my favorite sustainability courses. I am highly interested in the many world cultures and the fundamental differences between those cultures. I found great interest in learning about the cultural norms and differences that stemmed from the agricultural practices in various regions.
The complex relationship between agriculture and human culture is particularly interesting because it relates to wide scope of topics including national and international politics, human social interactions, economics, and the health of the environment. Through studying historical and current practices of agriculture and the corresponding human responses to those practices, I was able to better understand how the future health of the environment and quality of human lives is dependent upon a global cooperation to promote and maintain sustainable food production.
Each week, my professor assigned a journal topic to reflect on the topics discussed that week. Artifact #2 features three of these journal entires. The first journal, journal 6, shows research I conducted on the cultural implications and history of my “diet fad” of choice, veganism. Journal 7 features research relating to the advantages and disadvantages of various controversial agricultural practices, such as the use of hormones and genetically modified organisms. Lastly, journal 8 shows the interconnected nature of food and religion, my paper focusing on Judaism. These journals served as an opportunity to engage in the topics we explored during class in a more personal way.