6 EC
Semester 1, period 2
5132PETF6Y
Students partaking in the course gain an understanding in how the international political economy of food has developed over time, and how it is understood and criticized. More specifically, it focuses on how political, economic, and social factors influence the production and distribution of food, highlighting the power dynamics and interests that shape food policies, and thus food systems. Student learning will be assessed through a combination of written assignments, a (group) discussion, and an end-of-term exam.
The first part of the course will focus on three distinct perspectives within the field of international political economy (IPE). First, we will examine the liberal perspective, which emphasizes the existence of cooperation and trust in international politics. This approach supports the idea that increasing global trade leads to mutual benefit and may be the most effective and efficient way to ensure food security. Next, we will explore the economic nationalist perspective, which emphasizes the role of state power and national interests in shaping the political economy of food. This viewpoint highlights the importance of protecting domestic agriculture and food industries from global market fluctuations and foreign competition. Thirdly, we will delve into the critical perspective, which critiques existing power structures and inequities within the global food system. Including analyses from Marxist, feminist, and environmentalist theory, this perspective challenges dominant paradigms and focuses on justice and exploitation.
The second part of the course focuses more on specific and empirical food-related issues. We will explain the roles played by established actors at the global level (i.e. the WB, IMF and EU), study the relevance of (voluntary) certification mechanisms within the framework of corporate social responsibility, critically evaluate the sustainability of market-driven food systems, and analyze more bottom-up alternatives through the perspective of the food sovereignty movement.
Literature will be published on Canvas.
The course is split up in two parts (week 1-4 and 5-7; final exam in week 8).
Part 1:
The Monday lectures will kick-off the week, and will introduce and subsequently elaborate on three key perspectives of International Political Economy. During the week, students are expected to study the compulsory literature. On Fridays, in a three-hour seminar we will explain, discuss and assess the material of that week (also see Assessment).
Part 2:
In weeks 5-7, three guest speakers are invited to share their knowledge on a more specific food-related issue. These lectures take place on Mondays (week 5 and 7) and Wednesday (week 6). On Fridays, the three-hour seminars will focus on two discussions, prepared by a group of students, in which different ways to interpret and deal with the mentioned problems are critically discussed (also see Assessment).
In week 8, a final digital exam on location will assess all of the studied material (compulsory literature, lecture and seminar slides and content).
|
Activity |
Hours |
|
|
Lectures |
14 |
|
|
Seminar |
21 |
|
|
Exam |
2 |
|
|
Self study |
131 |
|
|
Total |
168 |
(6 EC x 28 uur) |
Additional requirements for this course:
Lectures:
We expect everyone to attend the lectures, as important additional information is shared here (which is assessed both during the seminars, and the final exam). In addition, we put serious effort in inviting interesting guest speakers, who will only continue coming when there is an audience.
Seminars:
An attendance requirement applies to the seminars. During these, learning outcomes 1, 2, 5 (in-class assignments) and 3, 4 (discussion assignments) are addressed and partly tested. You can therefore not complete the course without attending the seminars (an exception is made for students with valid partial results from previous year).
| Item and weight | Details |
|
Final grade | |
|
25% ICA average grade | |
|
15% Discussion assignment | |
|
60% Exam (digital, on location) |
Please find more detailed instructions of each assignment on Canvas.
In-class assignments - Part 1 (week 1-4):
During the final 60 minutes of each week's seminar, you will work on an assignment in a small group (group composition changes each week). The assignment is provided on paper and consists of several questions. It assesses knowledge on key concepts and insights from the compulsory literature and demands you to apply these concepts to a contemporary case or example. As for practice, the first week's assignment does not count towards the final grade. Of the three resulting assignments, the average of the two highest grades accounts for 25% of your final grade. The grade is an individual average of two group grades.
Discussion assignment - Part 2 (week 5-7):
Following up on the guest lecture earlier in the week, each seminar on Friday will include two Discussions, prepared by two small groups of students (3-4 people). The prepared discussion will focus on a case, provided by your teacher beforehand, and must include insights from the literature and lecture of that week. Additionally, you are expected to demonstrate your ability to interpret the issue from different IPE-perspectives, as discussed in weeks 1-4. The discussion assignment accounts for 15% of your final grade. You will receive an individual grade. More information will be provided on Canvas.
Exam - week 8:
All compulsory literature, seminar+lecture slides and content will be assessed. The exam consists of several open questions and will account for 60% of your final grade.
| Component: | Grading (weight): | Minimum grade? | Compensable? | Resit opportunity? |
| In-class assignments | Points (25%) | No | Yes | No |
| Discussion assignment | Points (15%) | No | Yes | No |
| Exam | Points (60%) | Yes, 5.5 | No | Yes |
Note on GenAI:
The use of Generative AI is not allowed for all assignments described above. In preparation of the discussion assignment, you are allowed to use such tools, although we do not recommend it.
| Learning objective: | In-class assignments | Discussion assignment | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1. | X | X | X |
| #2. | X | X | X |
| #3. | - | X | X |
| #4. | - | X | X |
| #5. | X | - | X |
Partial results remain valid for 1 year.
Students that were enrolled in the course in previous years are expected to send an e-mail to course coordinator Jordy Willems (j.willems2@uva.nl) before the course starts.
Assessment of In-class assignments and Discussion assignments is shared with students within 10 working days.
The grade of the final exam is communicated within 15 working days. Students will receive an email, on which they can reply in order to be granted the opportunity to inspect their assessed work.
see Assessment
The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl
The structure of the course, and compulsory literature per week can be found on Canvas.
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We vinden het belangrijk dat je je op de UvA en bij Future Planet Studies veilig voelt. Krijg je onverhoopt te maken met ongewenst gedrag of voel je je onveilig, dan kun je terecht bij verschillende personen. Je melding wordt altijd vertrouwelijk behandeld. Kijk op onze website voor meer informatie over waar en bij wie je terecht kunt.
It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.
In the evaluation of last year's edition, some students expressed that they were missing guidance in/explanation of several key concepts and theories discussed in the literature, especially in weeks 1-4. In addition, some said the Friday seminars during these weeks did not allow enough space to discuss the readings and content in a satisfactory manner.
We therefore added lectures in weeks 2, 3 and 4. We hope this will both provide more (background) information on the key IPE perspectives, which then also provides more time for discussion during the seminars.
In addition, in order to arrive at a more evenly dispersed global perspective, we changed the geographical focus of one of the guest lectures (South-East Asia).
J. Willems (j.willems2@uva.nl)