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Unit of Study ENV10702 - Food Ecology (2014)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

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Unit description

Provides a sociological and ecological outlook of the food system in examining the how and why of what we eat. It reviews the relationship between food production and consumption through historical, sociocultural, economic, political, philosophical, technological and environmental perspectives. A range of issues related to the current food system, its potential to impact human health, and the future of food are explored.

Unit content

What's on the Menu

Topic 1:  What and why we eat:  Historical influences

Topic 2:  What and why we eat:  Sociological influences

Topic 3:  The food system:  Introduction and contemporary challenges

Topic 4:  The business of food:  From paddock to plate and beyond

Topic 5  The food system and its influence on consumption and human and environmental health

Topic 6:  The future of food:  Alternative solutions to contemporary mainstream practices

Topic 7:  How to conduct a literature search and be a critical reader

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Lismore Session 1 Session 1

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 Describe the historical relationship between the food system, from the Hunter-gatherers to modern day, and the evolution of the human food supply.
2 Explain personal, sociological (e.g. sociocultural, political, economic, philosophical) and environmental factors that influence food consumption, diet and lifestyle.
3 Describe the food system in terms of its complexity and the contemporary challenges it faces.
4 Discuss the relationship between food production, its distribution and supply, and the environmental, technological, economic, political and sociological landscapes.
5 Discuss how aspects of the food system (e.g. food processing, retailing, mass media, food policy) have the potential to influence food consumption and human health.
6 Discuss the future of food in the context of the food system.
7 Conduct a search of credible information sources, and to critically interpret, synthesise and communicate this information in writing and as an oral presentation.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Describe the historical relationship between the food system, from the Hunter-gatherers to modern day, and the evolution of the human food supply.
    • GA4:
  2. Explain personal, sociological (e.g. sociocultural, political, economic, philosophical) and environmental factors that influence food consumption, diet and lifestyle.
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  3. Describe the food system in terms of its complexity and the contemporary challenges it faces.
    • GA4:
  4. Discuss the relationship between food production, its distribution and supply, and the environmental, technological, economic, political and sociological landscapes.
    • GA4:
  5. Discuss how aspects of the food system (e.g. food processing, retailing, mass media, food policy) have the potential to influence food consumption and human health.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA6:
  6. Discuss the future of food in the context of the food system.
    • GA4:
  7. Conduct a search of credible information sources, and to critically interpret, synthesise and communicate this information in writing and as an oral presentation.
    • GA5:
    • GA6:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.