Format: The format will be the same as the previous tests: a few essay questions, multiple choice, and short answer. You will be allowed to use the articles and other materials for reference.
In reviewing the articles, it’s a good idea to review the reading questions and make sure you understand the answers.
Food, Class, and Health
1. Documentary A Place at the Table
Themes explored:
1) How poverty perpetuates hunger
2) Food insecurity (know what this means)
4) Health effects of food insecurity
5) Food deserts (know what this means)
5) Food and charities—charities are insufficient for eliminating food insecurity
6) Need for government to step up and help ensure everyone has access to adequate healthy food.
7) Government agricultural policy and subsidies—support high yield crops that go into junk food
2. R. Albritton article “Between Hunger and Obesity: The Capitalist Food Industry”
Using a conflict theory approach, Albritton addresses the obesity epidemic that we face in the U.S. but not from a biomedical perspective. He also explains how capitalism results in hunger, particularly in developing countries.
- Albritton makes an argument that the American way of doing business has led to the spread of obesity. If you want to understand the obesity epidemic, you first have to understand the political economy behind our food industry. This is where the solution lies. Americans, eat and eat poorly (sugars, fats, and salts…..lots of junk food), because this is pushed by the food industry and the capitalist economic, profit driven, system that drives that industry. Albritton argues that there is enormous profit to be made from obesity. If you want proof of this, just look at the packaged foods in your kitchen. Look at the list of ingredients and the nutrition facts. Notice how many are high in salt, sugar, and fats, and how many contain ‘artificial ingredients’ or ingredients that you don’t recognize.
In regard to hunger, Albritton, like Poppendeick, argues that hunger is a problem arising from poverty. Poverty in the developing world is result of capitalism (and colonialism, imperialism, racism, and patriarchy). For example, he explains how the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank attached requirements to loans to developing
0 comments