COR 3180 The World in your Cup: an Interdisciplinary Look at Coffee
According to research conducted by the National Coffee Association, USA, coffee is the most commonly consumed beverage in the U.S.; 79% of U.S. Americans over the age of 18 have consumed coffee within the past year.[1] From the farmer who cultivates coffee on a steep hillside in Chiapas, Mexico to the consumer who purchases a daily latte from The Oak House, the production and consumption of coffee touches on many academic disciplines including history, biology, sustainability, fair trade, business, sociology, law, and human rights. We will study the multiple steps in the global coffee supply chain, from cultivation to consumption, as well as overarching factors such as government regulations, coffee’s impact on health, the sociology of coffee consumption, and coffee-related careers. The Core Capstone Project will be a writing-as-a-citizen project in which students engage a real audience around a specific issue in the coffee production chain.
[1] National Coffee Association, USA. “National Coffee Drinking Trends 2018.” March, 2018. Page 22.
Prerequisite
Open to students in the third or fourth year of study.
Course Types
Core Integrative Seminar
Offered
Offered spring.