Cotton, Cows, and Carbon: Botanical Imperialism, Domestication, and Political Ecology

Domestication is a far more complex process than the simple “human agent domesticates non-human object” model that most people understand it to be. Most farmers know that they have become domesticated by their crops and livestock in many subtle and some not-so-subtle ways, and that each type of domestication is unique, with its own costs, rewards, and surprises. This workshop is an exploration into the multiple ways that co-domestication works by using three co-domesticating agents — one a plant, one an animal, and one an inanimate element.

Presenter:

Glenn Adelson, Lake Forest College Environmental Studies, Lake Forest, IL.