ILC
Transnational Inclusivity in Progressive Food Movements
Student: Stephen Garfield
Evergreen email: garste11@evergreen.edu
Description
For this contract, entitled Transnational Inclusivity in Progressive Food Movements, the student will pursue the question: How can displaced communities upholding traditional cuisine participate in a “model” food future? Uniquely positioned as a social group with relatively low recognition, widespread global dispersal, and strong ties to the “homeland,” transnational Filipinos–and their cuisine–will serve as a case study representing the challenges of inclusivity in food systems. The student will examine a combination of extant scholarship on links between cuisine and cultural identity, as well as ongoing projects in food sustainability, security, and justice with particular regard to the Filipino community in diaspora. In addition to these sources–which represent Western cognitive approaches to academia–the student plans to interview members of the Filipino community abroad and study popular culture references in order to get a sense of the embodied, cultural transnational experience. The student will then propose potential roles inclusivity might play as we move forward toward a sustainable food future.
This four-credit in-program ILC will focus on the production of a 25-30 page research paper that sufficiently represents the body of research conducted by the student over the course of the 2019-2020 academic year. Acknowledgements will be made to the shifting nature of the project in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives and Activities
| Learning Objectives | Activities that will help me to attain this objective | What my sponsor will evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| To synthesize the research on food systems, progressive or alternative food movements, cultural identity, and Filipinx cuisine into a cohesive argument for the future of immigrant and domestic foodways. | I will continue conducting research, using books, journal articles, documentaries, popular magazines, and more to support my argument. | My sponsor will evaluate a 25-30 page research paper that I will produce by the end of the Spring 2020 quarter. |
Evaluation of Work
- WordPress ePortfolio
- Final week ten presentation
- Narrative evaluations from field supervisor and/or subcontractor
- Narrative mid-quarter and final self-evaluations
Faculty Support
I will maintain a WordPress site devoted to tracking the progress of the paper. Communication via email and Zoom meetings will support this progress.
Related Experience
I spent the early years of my childhood as a member of Filipino communities in Hawaii. As an adult, I have worked for nearly 14 years in food service, witnessing how evolving perspectives on food systems and consumption have affected the industry. Throughout my time at Evergreen, I have completed many programs relating to cultural identity–with specific regard to preservation in adversity–including Multicultural Literature; Inside Language; African Language: Pulaar (Fulani/Peul); The Spanish-Speaking World: Cultural Crossings; Basque Country: Language, Culture, and Society; Conquest East, Conquest West: Comparative “Manifest Destinies,” as well as my current program, Eating in Translation. I have occupied the position of Vice-Chair of the Food Systems Working Group on TESC campus, which is responsible for encouraging responsible food practices, designing “model” food systems, and working with student groups, faculty members, and third-party food service providers in order to improve TESC’s standing as an institution which prioritizes dedication to food sustainability, food justice, food security, and student-driven solutions.