Term of Award
Fall 2012
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)
Document Type and Release Option
Dissertation (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
Committee Chair
John Weaver
Committee Member 1
Ming Fang He
Committee Member 2
Marla Morris
Committee Member 3
William Schubert
Abstract
In this dissertation I explore the effect of biotechnology and food production on children’s physical and mental health. What we eat affects our well-being and unknowingly, we have little control of what exactly we are consuming. Children have even less control and feel the effects of additives and chemicals more than adults. Many of the effects of bioengineered foods are unknown at this time. My dissertation will be a theoretical exploration of biotechnology in food using a bioethical critical perspective. I use my personal experience and research to examine the effects of processed and genetically engineered foods on people, especially children, to inform about the need for a change in curriculum that supports an awareness of the environment and the methods employed in food production. Lately, headlines have been full of illnesses and deaths resulting from processed foods and obesity has become a larger national concern. Lurking just below this is the effects of consuming the “Frankenfoods” of biotechnology. The full and lasting effects of eating genetically modified foods are not yet known: however there are links to precocious puberty, cancer, and other illnesses. I inform the public of the importance of understanding the effects of what we are putting into our bodies and the bodies of our children. I posit that we need to educate in a way that enhances our connection to the natural world with a sustainable and holistic curriculum that employs the Montessori Method.
Recommended Citation
Rickman, Patra, "Frankenfoods: Are We Bioengineering Our Children and What Can Curriculum Do?" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 787.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/787
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
