Food Insecurity & Homelessness
The first class of the semester during our discussion of what we were concerned or thought about in the world before we go to sleep, I said I was concerned with the power structures in the world today, specifically who would stand up for the global poor. As an international studies and sociology major, I am extremely interested in globalization, political structures, and power structures. I transferred into CHASS from CALS with the hopes of ultimately making a positive impact on the world. In 2014, I traveled with the CSLEPS organization on campus to volunteer with the homeless, and had the opportunity to work alongside the FAO at their headquarters in Rome. After traveling with CSLEPS, and with my biological family to Turkey, I had a newfound intrigue and respect in cultures different than my own, and the dynamics between what we have called this semester as “the west and the rest.” Upon taking this class, I realized the many complexities that create the relationship between indigenous cultures and their utilization of the environment. Then my mind wandered into the distribution of power in these indigenous environments and how this related to the global structure. What I found in reading the articles over the semester, as well as my outside research, is horrifying. Much of the research points to, what in my opinion looks like a detrimental future for the environment, ruled by corrupt governments and transnational corporations. Although, many anthropologists point to new avenues and arenas to make environmental management more equitable between global and local structures. The combination of all of my interests after traveling, volunteering, and immersing myself in different cultures led me to create the multifaceted e-portfolio you see today to include political ideology, global vs. local power structures, and environmental management. I have hopes to utilize this portfolio for future projects.