The idea of self-sufficiency resonates with feminist activists because the political thrust of the various movements for women’s rights—beginning with Mary Wollstonecraft’s plea for women’s access to education in her famous Vindication—hinged on finding sustainable solutions to the stranglehold that social, political, and economic institutions have on women’s lives. If the pivotal movement of feminism, in other words, is about increasing women’s sovereignty in a patriarchal world, the emerging “local/global” food movements provide a dynamic opportunity to understand how the personal can be refashioned into political action. The point of this essay is thus twofold: first, to show that food literature is an excellent medium to teach transnational feminist theories and practices; and second, to offer some of our strategies for feminist civic engagement through reclaiming the idea of “the personal is political.”
International education and global citizenship are keywords in our culture today and the success or failure of our attempts to be global citizens depends on the level of commitment we are able to make to cultures different than our own. The academic study of transnational feminism rests on the idea that cultural knowledge can be learned and appreciated. Studying abroad is a small step towards fostering global citizenship and transnational solidarity. This essay illustrates some of the successes of and impediments to community formation and global awareness through study abroad programs and initiatives. Service-learning assessment modules, non-traditional assignments, and stimulation of contemplative health are presented as pedagogical examples that make possible a mutually life-transforming experience for educators and students alike.
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