Communication 499C - Honors Thesis Seminar

Open to senior COMM majors or Senior and Junior Honors students. Instructor Consent Required. Professor Cooks can be contacted by emailat leda@comm.umass.edu. Course Topic: Food as Communication, Identity and Community.

Seminar. This two-semester, 8-credit Capstone Course will explore the intersections of food, community, identity and justice from a wide variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives, and will teach students community based research skills toward their culminating thesis project. Students will survey the variety of approaches to food studies in class the first semester and will begin to work with community partners (schools) on food projects designed through dialogues focused on common food interests and concerns. Students will learn methods to facilitate these dialogues to build projects around what community members want to work on. By the end of the semester, students will develop a draft of their rationale, literature review and methods for their thesis project based on course readings, discussion and initial work with community agency or school. In the Spring semester students will engage in research with the partner organization. Also students will conduct their thesis research projects, including their data collection analysis, and write-up.