HSEM3025H: Food, Clothing, Shelter: The Culture and Politics of Simple Living

At a time of rising income inequality, in which billionaires grow richer while millions struggle to survive, this course will examine the social, environmental, economic, and ethical aspects of consumption and poverty through the lens of three basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter. It seeks to help you answer three key questions: what should you eat, what should you wear, and where should you live, so that others might do the same? We will begin by exploring the historical roots of simple living in the monastic traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, as well as the “voluntary simplicity” of such secular figures as Henry David Thoreau, Helen and Scott Nearing, and E. F. Schumacher. In the central portion of our course, we will consider several contemporary forms of simplicity, such as Slow Food, permaculture, and urban homesteading; visible mending, thrifting, and online reselling; and camping, #vanlife, and tiny houses. We will then compare these practices to the “basic needs” approach to economic and social development, which seeks to alleviate the “involuntary simplicity” of poverty in developing countries, as well as various attempts to address poverty in the U.S. through social welfare programs (such as SNAP, WIC, and HUD programs) and nongovernmental organizations (such as food shelves, soup kitchens, thrift stores, and homeless shelters). In our exploration of simple living and basic needs, we will address major issues in sustainability studies, including ecosystem services, the gift economy, and theories of value; the positive psychology movement; the Sustainable Development Goals; and antiwork and living wage campaigns. We will also consider a range of literary and historical perspectives on food, fashion, and architecture, such as Bill McKibben’s “Deep Economy,” Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Sarah Susanka’s “The Not So Big House,” and the documentary films “The True Cost” and “The Minimalists.” Requirements will include attendance and participation, leading discussion, a series of short reading responses, several reflective writing assignments, and a final project exploring some aspect of our subject in greater depth.

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