Abstract
The prominence of urban agriculture within the United States has increased due to an effort to alleviate food insecurity in American cities. For many scholars, urban agriculture is viewed as a radical method to increase food security while simultaneously fostering community, increasing nutritional education, and promoting entrepreneurship. Yet, others suggest that organizations which grow food in the city are highly influenced by market forces. This creates a tension between social responsibility and capitalist goals. In this study, I analyze this phenomenon in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. First, I provide a review of literature which discusses works that both problematize and radicalize urban agriculture. Then, I introduce four theoretical perspectives which help form the conversation about urban farms and the market: neoliberalism, social embeddedness, social capital and instrumentalism. Finally, using personal data primarily from semi-structured interviews with individuals who are affiliated with the urban agricultural sector in Cleveland and Detroit, I investigate the question: how does the tension between market priorities and social goals manifest at urban agricultural organizations?
Advisor
Mariola, Matt
Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Gamble, Grace, "Food Activists or “Small Capitalists?”: The Tension between Market Forces and Social Goals at Urban Agricultural Organizations in Cleveland, OH and Detroit, MI" (2017). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 7646.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/7646
Disciplines
Food Security | Food Studies | Urban Studies and Planning
Keywords
food access, urban agriculture
Publication Date
2017
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2017 Grace Gamble