University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Poster Gallery
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Creation Date
Spring 2015
Major
Anthropology
Department
Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Jennifer R. Wies
Mentor Department
Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work
Abstract
This presentation examines the political ecology of food insecurity in Clay County, an Appalachian designated region in eastern Kentucky. Political ecology is an anthropological approach that involves the study of the relationships between political, economic, and social factors via ties to environmental changes and issues. Using this approach I analyze two related food insecurity issues. First, a political ecology framework is useful when seeking to understand food deserts. A food desert is an area in which it is difficult to buy good-quality and or affordable fresh food. Food deserts are not the only problem in Clay County; obesity is a significant issue that is related to the lack of quality food resources. Through an examination of the relationship between population size, socioeconomic status, the cost of living specific to Clay County, food costs in the region, and geographic indicators, I discuss the contours of food insecurity through a food desert lens in Appalachia.
