Date of Thesis

Spring 2019

Description

The objective of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of counterhegemonic environmental-economic projects in the United States and in Latin America. The work builds on research that I conducted throughout my time at Bucknell University concerning a site known as Better Farm, which distinguishes itself as “a 65-acre sustainability campus, artists' colony, animal sanctuary, and organic farm” located in Redwood, New York (www.betterfarm.org). Better Farm functions as a locus for the surrounding community of roughly 700 residents, connecting a variety of persons interested in both formal sustainability education and informal systems whereby community members support each other economically. The project combines my past research in Redwood with an analysis of similar initiatives in Latin American countries, focusing on agroecology, politics, and the notion of the community economy. By analyzing how these concepts manifest in each of the three cases, I aim to underscore the importance of beginning to think critically and deliberately about how to structure communities and economies more sustainably, a shift that is necessary if human beings are to survive in increasingly uncertain environmental futures.

Keywords

Community, Community Economy, New York State, Agroecology, Sustainability

Access Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Type

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Environmental Studies

Second Major

Spanish

Minor, Emphasis, or Concentration

Latin American Studies

First Advisor

Peter Wilshusen

Second Advisor

Clare Sammells

Third Advisor

N/A

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