Posted: September 13th, 2017

Synthesis/Analysis of “Is Local Food Better?”and “How the Local Food Movement is Transforming Race Relations”

Synthesis/Analysis of “Is Local Food Better?”and “How the Local Food Movement is Transforming Race Relations”

Paper #1: Synthesis/Analysis of “Is Local Food Better?”
and “How the Local Food Movement is Transforming Race Relations”
Schedule:
May 24 Email me a working thesis statement (use the Thesis Worksheet handout
to help you!) and outline of your draft (extra credit if you include at least two paragraphs!)
26 First submission of Paper #1 DUE (bring two hard copies); Peer
Workshop #1
28 Paper #1 DUE (bring clean hard copy and all supporting drafts, including
the draft your peer marked up for you/workshop worksheet)
Content:
In his 2013 article, published in The Huffington Post, author Rohit Kumar notes that although his neighborhood is the “picture of American diversity,” with neighbors who come from around the world, he and his neighbors “barely interact with each other.” Kumar goes to explore the “salad bowl” metaphor of cultural integration, noting that everyone, at least in his neighborhood, tends to keep his/her own ethnic group, and thus the neighborhood suffers. However, Kumar sees promise in the local food movement, describing how conversations about lifestyle and food have started transforming neighborhoods like his. He points to how “local economic transactions” have generated discussion and interaction that wasn’t there before, such as his own neighborhood’s local trade of sapote fruit. Kumar also points out several other benefits of local eating, such as the increase of community gardens, a renewed respect for traditional cultures and farming methods, and a “renewed focus on our common humanity.” Eating locally, thus, for Kumar, is not only a way to save the environment, but to also build better race relations in the U.S.
Sarah DeWeerdt, however, in her 2011 article published in World Watch Magazine, proclaims environmental (or race relations) problems aren’t just solved by eating locally, and, indeed, that the local food movement –more popularly named the “locavore” movement – is misguided. First, she asks the question of “how local is local?”, pointing out that the definition of local can shift, meaning sometimes a city, a state, or even “some small European nations.” Second, she points out that the popular term “food miles” does not account for the amount of energy and impact on the environment producing the food in the first place ‘costs.’ Instead, DeWeerdt argues, if we are to truly measure the environmental impact of our eating habits, we should look at the greenhouse gas emissions of all food production, transportation, and consumption. And the biggest wasters of energy? According to DeWeerdt and other researchers, these food-mile wasters/environment destroyers are “red meat and dairy production.” Instead of eating locally, DeWeerdt concludes, we should eat vegetarian, or, even better yet, vegan.
In this first paper for Rhetoric and Composition II, you will synthesize and analyze the arguments made by DeWeerdt and Kumar, deciding who has the stronger claim. In order to do this, you will need to carefully investigate how each author makes his or her argument, looking at elements like audience, use of appeals (logos and pathos), the author’s own credibility (ethos), and her or his skill with language (rhetorical devices).
Baley ENGW 1302/1307.21 Summer 2015 2
Here are some questions to get your thought/writing process started:
? How do Kumar and DeWeerdt define eating locally? How do they define “green” food? How are their definitions similar? How do their definitions diverge? Why?
? How does each author make use of outside research? Do you see any differences in the research studies that each author cite/discuss/argue with? Why?
? What kinds of crises does each author see us facing? Which is more compelling to you as a reader?
? How do Kumar and DeWeerdt appeal to their audiences? Who are these audiences?
? How do Millenials (your generation) fit into these arguments? Why?
? What do you believe: is it better to eat locally or to become vegetarian (or vegan)? Or perhaps the answer is in doing both? Or neither? Why?
Length and Requirements:
This paper needs to be 3-5 pages. Please use 12-point font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, and correct MLA formatting. I would also like you to complete a Works Cited page and use proper MLA citation, all of which we will discuss and practice in class. Your audience is your peers and me, and the tone of this paper should be formal/academic.
This essay will also be graded on such issues as:
1. A strong, specific, contestable thesis
2. Effective topic sentences and strong, coherent paragraphs that remain focused on the discussion of your thesis
3. A clear and appropriate use of evidence in the form of direct quotations, paraphrase, and summary
4. A grasp of basic rhetorical techniques (appeals, credibility, audience, etc.)
5. An emphasis on correct grammar and sentence clarity
PLEASE NOTE: While I do not believe you will have to look to other outside sources to do your analysis, you are allowed to use up to two more sources in this paper. Two conditions: You MUST clear these sources with me first, and you must cite them correctly in your Works Cited page.
Questions?