Reading Response

I read the two articles assigned, both "The Pleasures of Eating" by Wendell Berry and "Food Justice" by Gottlieb and Joshi, and they were both intriguing pieces. I particularly enjoyed Berry's perspective and ideas on food and where it comes from. He speaks of eating responsibly and what that entails, and he compiles his tips in a list (that doesn't try to be comprehensive, he admits there are likely many more ways to eat responsibly). He spends a lot of his article speaking about how people have lost touch with the realities of the food they eat, becoming mindless consumers of an "agricultural product" rather than active participators in an "agricultural act." We have been distanced from the processes and hard work that come with traditional agriculture in this world of instant gratification. We expect to be served on a silver platter in 30 seconds or less with little to no regard for what additives or chemicals or antibiotics are present in our foods. I believe there is merit in the tips he shares with his readers, but one must take them seriously for them to work. His first tip is make yourself involved (even if just a little bit) in growing your own food and keeping up a compost pile, in order to feel more connected to the process of eating. When I'm in the position to do so, I'd love to have my own garden to tend in order to make vegetables an easier part of my diet. I also would love to prepare a good majority of my food; as I've never been in the position of control over my diet, really. There are other tips that I like the idea of, but I don't know if I'd consistently follow through with them, like learning the origins of my food all the time. I know myself and it's tough for me to adjust to new habits like that.

Gottlieb and Joshi criticize the private sector and food industry, highlighting it's empty promises to the Los Angeles area in the early 90s. The large supermarket and grocery store chains offered to build locations in places that desperately needed them, and then within the next few years backed out and left these places dependent on fast food and convenient stores, creating what is known as a grocery gap. The inhabitants of the more low-end parts of LA didn't have the same access to fresh food that others in the same city had. The arguments posed by these two authors are definitely on the same side as Berry, even though they're tackling it from a different angle. They're attacking the industry for causing people to go hungry by being profit driven (literally distancing the food and the people), while Berry accused the industry of distancing people from their food in ideals and conceptually.

Reflection on Service Learning

I have yet to attend any serious service learning sessions, for reasons that I don't even fully comprehend. I've felt a little apprehensive, as I've never really participated in any community outreach or involvement before. When I needed "service hours" for something like beta club or a similar organization, I just tutored people in subjects I excelled in. I've never gotten into actual work in a garden or a soup kitchen or anything with a more widespread effect. I tend to be a person who is fairly reluctant to try new things until I absolutely have to, and it appears that this service learning course will be no different in that regard. 

I do plan on attending a garden session this Friday, though. Let's all hope that I don't back out last minute due to unnecessarily crippling fears of the unknown! 

The only thing I have towards my 20 hours in this course comes from the key-center's presentation on what a service learning course entails. I can take this space, though, to reflect on the distinctions UNCA makes in regards to charity vs. service-learning and my opinion on the matter. 

The more traditional model they describe is that of charity, which shows an emphasis on helping others and feeling good about it. This is most people’s idea of community service, but the key center would have you believe that charity is outdated and leads to horrible assumptions about groups of people. I feel as though there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to help others to feel good about yourself, because it’s still a step above sitting on your couch doing nothing. I could see how a charity based service learning style could lead to oppressiveness (thinking of unfortunate people as lesser, et cetera), but I imagine more often than not that it wouldn’t. The same kind of people that would have signed up for a service learning course before the social change model was introduced would still be the same kinds of people who sign up for the social change service learning courses. 

The social change based model of service the key center touts as being more effective involves becoming an active member of the community and helping build connections between students and the people being given assistance. Here they emphasize a value of equality and collaboration, which arguably does go a little farther than just helping someone and feeling high and mighty for a week or so. Community being stressed does seem to be a more noble, equal goal than just helping the unfortunate. Ultimately though, I do feel that the social change model isn’t really any better, I feel like it is just UNCA trying to be progressive for progressiveness’ sake.