Safe spaces for youth "At Risk": transformative learning through food system awareness

TY - ABST

T1 - Safe spaces for youth "At Risk"

T2 - Food Studies

AU - Nielsen, Morten Kromann

AU - Wistoft, Karen

N1 - Food studies conference, Virginia September the 18.-19. th. 2015.

PY - 2015/7/1

Y1 - 2015/7/1

N2 - The paper will discuss how farm based empowerment programs directed at youth "at risk" through the construction of "safe spaces" around farming, cooking and different workshops, and with a critical approach to the food system can provide a framework for transformative learning. Data in the research project is produced through long term anthropological fieldwork with participant observations and ethnographic interviews with a cohort of high school youth participating in a specific Californian program. Narratives from the youth illustrate a variety within the program discourse of empowerment as different motivations, strategies and outcomes from participation in the program activities that can be identified in two main trajectories: network building and job training and emerging activist identities engaging youth in food justice issues and movement building in local communities. The research shows how a specific pedagogy as it is practiced and contextualized within a critical approach to the food system can engage and motivate high school youth to transform social relations, identities and learning. On a general level the research contributes to current discussions on the potentials for learning, democratic participation and citizenship education through farming and gardening. Keywords: Food Systems, Transformative Learning, Youth Empowerment Stream: Food Policies, Politics and Cultures Presentation Type: Paper Presentation in a Themed Session in English Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted

AB - The paper will discuss how farm based empowerment programs directed at youth "at risk" through the construction of "safe spaces" around farming, cooking and different workshops, and with a critical approach to the food system can provide a framework for transformative learning. Data in the research project is produced through long term anthropological fieldwork with participant observations and ethnographic interviews with a cohort of high school youth participating in a specific Californian program. Narratives from the youth illustrate a variety within the program discourse of empowerment as different motivations, strategies and outcomes from participation in the program activities that can be identified in two main trajectories: network building and job training and emerging activist identities engaging youth in food justice issues and movement building in local communities. The research shows how a specific pedagogy as it is practiced and contextualized within a critical approach to the food system can engage and motivate high school youth to transform social relations, identities and learning. On a general level the research contributes to current discussions on the potentials for learning, democratic participation and citizenship education through farming and gardening. Keywords: Food Systems, Transformative Learning, Youth Empowerment Stream: Food Policies, Politics and Cultures Presentation Type: Paper Presentation in a Themed Session in English Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted

KW - Safe spaces

KW - Youth at risk

KW - Transformative learning spaces

KW - Food Systems

KW - Awareness

KW - Out-door eduaction

KW - Food systems

KW - safe spaces

KW - farming practices

KW - youth at risk

KW - cooking

KW - tasting experience

KW - personal development

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

Y2 - 18 September 2015 through 19 September 2015

ER -