Department: Sociology
Professor Ivy Ken
Project Description: The school feeding program in Chile is dominated by companies that import and distribute the food. The Chilean government brokers deals with these companies to ensure that all children in public schools are fed. As part of an ongoing research project, this semester I will investigate and
document the changes that have occurred in this program over the last six months, including updated nutrition standards, new contracting practices, and increased attention to local producers in the supply chain.
The goal of the larger research project is to understand what structural practices within school feeding programs contribute to the health and well-being of a population by prioritizing children’s access to whole, unprocessed, nutritious foods. This requires attention to the inequalities perpetuated by current practices, and specifically in this project, a comparison of Chile’s system to school feeding programs in the US and Brazil.
Duties: This position requires fluency in Spanish. The Research Assistant will search for and work through Spanish-language documents produced by the government in addition to labor union materials and media reports. The RA
will meet with me weekly to discuss these materials and to analyze them collaboratively within the context of the larger goals of the research project. This will require the student to become familiar with the political-economic situation of contemporary Chile and with the current dilemmas of school feeding programs cross-nationally.
Time Commitment/Credits: 7-9 hours per week (average); 3 credits
To Apply: Submit Cover Letter/Resume to ivyken@gwu.edu
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