Faculty
Clare Hinrichs
Associate Professor of Rural Sociology
(Ph.D., Development Sociology, Cornell University, 1993)
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Email address: chinrichs@psu.edu Telephone: 1-814-863-8628 Fax: 1-814-865-3746 Office address: 112F Armsby Building University Park, PA 16802 |
Research Interests
My research broadly addresses questions of how transitions to sustainability are understood, negotiated, organized, contested and assessed. Substantively, much of my work occurs at the intersection between agriculture, food systems and the environment. Current research projects examine 1) the organization, ideologies and impacts of local and alternative food initiatives and movements and 2) social, ethical and land use implications of bioenergy crop production and energy development.
Outreach/Extension Interests
Although I do not have a formal extension appointment, I see public engagement as an important part of my academic work. I try to link useful findings from my research to Penn State Outreach and Extension efforts related to agricultural entrepreneurship, community development and environmental management. I also partner with various non-governmental and governmental organizations that are interested in community-based applied research that can inform policy and programs.
Current/Recent Courses
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RSoc 508: Sociology of Agriculture
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RSoc 597C: Qualitative Research Methods
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AgEco/RSoc 134: Sustainable Agriculture Science and Policy
Recent Selected Publications
Bagdonis, Jessica M., C. Clare Hinrichs and Kai A. Schafft. 2009. The emergence and framing of farm-to-school initiatives: Civic engagement, health and local agriculture. Agriculture and Human Values 26: 107-119.
Hinrichs, C. Clare and Patricia Allen. 2008. Selective patronage and social justice: Local food consumer campaigns in historical context. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 21: 329-352.
Hinrichs, C. Clare. 2008. Interdisciplinarity and boundary work: Challenges and opportunities for agrifood studies. Agriculture and Human Values 25(2): 209-213.
Hinrichs, C. Clare and Thomas A. Lyson (eds.) 2007. Remaking the North American Food System: Strategies for Sustainability. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Hinrichs, C. Clare, Gilbert W. Gillespie and Gail W. Feenstra. 2004. Social learning and innovation at retail farmers’ markets. Rural Sociology 69: 31-58.
Hinrichs, C. Clare. 2003. The practice and politics of food system localization. Journal of Rural Studies 19: 33-45.