Unit 1 Part 2

Question 1

paradigms

Answer 1

• a set of assumptions from which knowledge is generated
• a way of seeing the world which shapes intellectual beliefs and actions
• “lenses” shared by members of a community in their efforts to understand the world or aspects of it

Question 2

is paradigm a personal opinion?

Answer 2

A paradigm is a social construction, not a personal opinion but it does influence the formation of personal opinions.

Question 3

The three fundamental lenses we see the world in

Answer 3

1. personal experience, interest
2. reality
3. Utopia ( how the world ‘should’ be)

Question 4

The Newtonian- Mechanical Paradigm

Answer 4

• dominant paradigm for food paradigm (focused on QUANTITY)
• based on classical mechanics + Isaac Newton
• large expanses of land are planted to a single crop needing synthetic fertilizers and pest protection against disease epidemics (use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides)
• farms are specialized into one type of production (either crop or animal but not both).
• Products are standardized and the scale of production is large and ideal for mechanization.
• relies on cheap energy sources (fossil fuels) + high levels of inputs (fertilizer, irrigation, pesticides, etc)
• ideal for economies of scale

Question 5

economies of scale

Answer 5

Economies of scale are cost advantages companies experience when production becomes efficient, as costs can be spread over a larger amount of goods.

• relies on government subsidies

Question 6

disadvantages to the Newtonian-mechanical paradigm?

Answer 6

• the industrial approach is harmful to the environment:
• soil compaction
• erosion
  *waterway, air + ground water pollution
  &pesticides = diseases
• increased weather changes due to climate change make monocultures (single crops) are more vulnerable as they are only adapted to regional weather with lots of fertilizer

crop failure = economies of scale are irrelevant

Question 7

what is the ecological paradigm?

Answer 7

• systems-based (more complex)
• promotes diversity + complex planting patterns
• crops and animals should co-exist in the same communities so that animal manure can fertilize crops
• solutions other than pesticides are used against pests in a diverse environment
• local fertility must be based on crop rotation and the recycling of animal manure and not on imported inorganic fertilizers (organic)

Question 8

What is the life-science integrated paradigm?

Answer 8

• integrates biotech in industrial-scale agriculture
• Inputs = chemical + biological (enzymes, GMO seeds, lab-grown meat from stem cells)
• focused on nutrients, vitamins
  and genetic manipulation of crops + animals to improve certain properties of food
• dominated by biochemical + pharmaceutical companies (claim to provide health benefits)
• rely on expert-led, high-tech skilled employees.

Question 9

“small organic”

Answer 9

• based on the original mission of the people who pioneered the organic food movement in the 1970s
• small farms selling to local markets (usually not available at conventional supermarkets)

Question 10

“industrial organic”

Answer 10

• hybrid of Newtonian-mechanical paradigm and the Ecological paradigm
• need + value human labour
• organic inputs only
  sophisticated methods of soil fertility + pest control (no industrial chemicals)
• food is produced + processed in industrial quantities
• limited to large-scale organic production in California and Mexico
  ex: pre-washed organic lettuce in grocery stores that come from California to Vancouver

Question 11

our dominant food paradigm (Newtonian-Mechanical paradigm) has created food production systems that:

Answer 11

1. decreased biodiversity: rigorous weed control, monoculture on large areas, pesticides that kill insects and result in bird pieces disappearing, fragmentation of natural habitats by introducing farms (also dams).
2. water pollution: chemicals + soil erosion (chemicals and topsoil end up in water)
3. heavy reliance on fossil fuel + significant contribution to climate change ( 20-33% GHG)

cascading pollution, bc pesticides + synthetic fertilizers can travel far distances to other ecosystems by either being washed away, and travel through the sea or blown by the wind

Question 12

Kuhn’s Theory

Answer 12

paradigm 1->Normal Science-> Anomalies->Crisis->Scientific Revolution->Paradigm 2

• ‘normal science’ = period of accumulation of knowledge t expand the reigning paradigm
• significant science contributions/changes occur during scientific revolutions
• his work indicates that a paradigm serves to differentiate one scientific community from another. It can be used to differentiate physics from chemistry or sociology.

Question 13

culture

Answer 13

the way of life of a given group, passed down from generations through learning + experiencing => constantly evolving

• dependent not only on the ethnic group but also the individual

Question 14

communication

Answer 14

how individuals exchange information, opinions and feelings in order to achieve a shared meaning

Question 15

intercultural communication

Answer 15

the process by which individuals from different cultures (groups) exchange a set of meanings/understandings

might not share the same cultural paradigm (beliefs, values, etc)

Question 16

why are cultural paradigms significant?

Answer 16

• cultures serve a primary function in society

- all of us are constantly functioning on a continuum of cultures overlaid on each other

Question 17

The iceberg view of culture

Answer 17

Culter is visible and invisible

At the “tip of the iceberg” are the visible manifestations of culture. Under the surface is the main body of the iceberg, the underlying, ingrained patterns of thought, learning and ways of being.

Question 18

what are the visible dimensions of culture “tip of the iceberg”?

Answer 18

food, clothes, etc

Work - attitudes toward creative effort and the proper relationship between work and social interaction

Roles - individuals are accustomed to a set of generalizations regarding who plays what roles, or performs various sets of related behaviours, because of experience in their own culture. Often, large differences exist with roles and how roles are enacted in other cultures.

Importance of the group vs. importance of the individual - all individuals act at times because of their individual interests and other times because of their membership in groups. The relative emphasis on individual and group allegiances varies greatly between and within cultures.

Question 19

what are the invisible dimensions of culture?

Answer 19

sense of time
sense of space
relation of people to the environment
sense of fairness and justice
sense of individual or group

Question 20

What happens to people as they communicate across cultural paradigms?

Answer 20

• ingroup-outgroup distinction
• attribution
• anxiety (is their behaviour appropriate? also met with unfamiliar demands)
• disconfirmed expectations (upset when situations are different from what they expected).

Question 21

ingroup-outgroup distinction

Answer 21

• ingroups = people with whom interaction is sought/is the social group a person is a member of
• outgroup: social group/culture someone doesn’t identify with

Outgroup members are held a distance and are often suspect and target of rejection. People entering from another culture have to be sensitive to the fact that they will often be outgroup members, and that there are some behaviours associated with ingroup membership in which they will never participate.

Question 22

cultural sensitivity

Answer 22

acknowledging that we have biases.

• act respectfully and being aware of cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a value – positive or negative, better or worse, right or wrong.(not assigning them a bias)

Question 23

cultural humility

Answer 23

‘life-long journey of self-evaluation, reflection and learning to deepen understanding of how our life experiences influence how we understand and interact with others’

Question 24

relativism

Answer 24

• ‘cultures cannot be judged or evaluated from a single or absolute ethical or moral perspective’
• the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical CONTEXT, and are NOT ABSOLUTE.

Question 25

ethnocentrism

Answer 25

• ‘the idea that what is present in your own culture represents the natural and best way of doing things’ (is superior to other cultures)
• evaluating other cultures based on the standard from your own

Question 26

cultural pluralism

Answer 26

• multiple cultures exist in society
• the social and political interaction of people from different cultures (different ways of thinking + living)

OR (from the internet)

‘a condition in which minority groups participate fully in the dominant society, yet maintain their cultural differences’

Question 27

what is a community

Answer 27

friend group, family, professional association, etc

(despite physical boundaries) ULTIMATELY communities:
accomplishes something together that the same number of separate individuals could not accomplish and provides some kind of support to an individual.

Question 28

dilution paradigm

Answer 28

stated that polluting large bodies of water or air did not matter since it would be addressed by self-regulating principles of nature and no harm would be done

was dismissed in 1968

= overview effect! “ 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 circled around the moon and took a photo of Earth, which became an instant hit. The relatively small size of the planet against the dark space and the grey moon made people realize that the planet had finite resources and a finite ability to deal with pollutants.”

Question 29

boomerang paradigm

Answer 29

stated that pollution does not disappear and will resurface like a boomerang.

Question 30

regenerative agriculture

Answer 30

used by
small scale farmers

builds up soil-bound organic matter absorbs CO2 and water, mitigating climate change.

Organic matter provides a habitat for beneficial microbes. Fields rich with organic matter do better during droughts and need less fertilizers

**ploughing and tilling in industrial agricultural breaks own this organic matter:((

Question 31

ecological integrated

Answer 31

-minimize energy consumption + food waste

• regional + local production
  citizens = partners not just consumers
• no subsides/low political support

Question 32

what are the two paths in the food system?

Answer 32

1. conventional or industrial agriculture products
2. for organic agriculture products. (once certified, travels different path than conventional/handled separately)

producer -> wholesaler-> processor-> distributer-> grocery stores