UBC Graduate Research

A case for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching Food Studies 12 and Social Justice 12 May, Lindsay

Abstract

The Anthropocene era is upon us, and the world the next generations will face is beyond our imagination. As educators, it is incumbent upon us to provide learning opportunities for students to see how human behaviors and daily choices are negatively impacting our environment and communities. To enable this type of learning, we need to transform the way that we teach and help students see how interconnected their lives are, with each other and the environment. For this research, I explored the BC Ministry of Education curriculum for Food Studies 12 and Social Justice 12 to see if they are complementary and would suit an interdisciplinary approach. I used critical, interpretive and philosophical inquiry to determine if this interdisciplinary approach could be framed by Thompson’s Dual Helix systems thinking. My findings show that by using Thompson’s philosophical framework, we can see how the disciplines of Home Economics and Social Studies are interconnected and create a balance in the world. The curricular analysis establishes that the curricular introduction, rationale, goals and content of Food Studies 12 and Social Justice 12 are complementary and a case can be made for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching these courses.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International