Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

Abstract

In this address, I offer an explanation as to why I chose the theme “Locavore Sociology: Challenging Globalization, Embracing the Local” and the host city of Portland, Oregon, for the 2015 Association for Humanist Sociology meetings. I argue that locavorism is a distinctly humanist form of activism. I then explore the origins of locavorism, particularly in terms of its most obvious manifestation in the locavore food movement but also its extension to lesser known movements such as local living economies, local energy production and consumption, and local knowledges. The promise of locavorism and the limits of locavorism as a progressive movement are explored. Finally, I introduce the idea of locavore sociology as a challenge to dominant disciplinary narratives that interfere with understanding nuances associated with locality.