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WORK TITLE: American Organic
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Dothan
STATE: AL
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://trojan.troy.edu/artsandsciences/history/facultybio/OSullivan.html * https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-o-sullivan-2b477119/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Dartmouth College, B.A., 1999; University of Southern Maine, Portland, M.A., 2004; University of Texas at Austin, Ph.D., 2010.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Historian and academic. Troy University, Troy, AL, lecturer, 2010—. Has also worked as an adjunct lecturer at Empire State College.
MEMBER:American Studies Association, American Society for Environmental History.
AWARDS:Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award, Troy University, 2012.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Robin O’Sullivan is a historian and academic. She earned degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Southern Maine, Portland, before completing a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. O’Sullivan eventually became a lecturer in the History and Philosophy Department at Troy University, where her academic research interests include U.S. cultural history, cultural geography, environmental and agricultural history, regional literature, food studies, advertising, American popular culture, and social movements. In 2012 Troy University granted her the Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award.
O’Sullivan published American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating in 2015. The account looks into the history of the organics movement in the United States back to the 1940s. She deconstructs organic ideology and its discourse through chronological chapters by decade that feature key figures in the organics movement as it progressed and expanded. O’Sullivan also looks at the cultural influences on the organics movement and how they change over time, including the belief in the importance of healthy soil, the role of environmentalists, the hippie movement, and the ultimate mass commercialization of the idea of organics in the 1990s. O’Sullivan discusses the movement’s interaction with the U.S. government and criticism from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In a review in Choice, J.R. Reeve noted that it was “somewhat repetitive at times.” Nevertheless, Reeve called it “a readable, in-depth, often entertaining treatise on the history of the organic movement in the U.S.” Writing in H-Net Reviews, Erin Mauldin concluded that “American Organic will be of interest to scholars interested in twentieth-century agrarianism, the environmental movement, and cultural representations of environmental concerns. Her careful work tracing the global and domestic network of agricultural thinkers who contributed to the cause is thorough, if unsurprising.” Mauldin remarked that “specialists looking for more material environmental history will not find it here, for the land itself plays no role in O’Sullivan’s story. However, this kind of scholarship focusing on the intellectual influences of environmental movements is needed.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Choice, June 1, 2016, J.R. Reeve, review of American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating, p. 1493.
ONLINE
H-Net Reviews, https://networks.h-net.org/ (June 11, 2017), Erin Mauldin, review of American Organic.
Troy University Website, http://trojan.troy.edu/ (June 11, 2017), author profile.*
Robin O'Sullivan
History Department at Troy University @historynibbles
Troy University The University of Texas at Austin
Dothan, Alabama Area 207 207 connections
Connect
Robin O'Sullivan has a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a full-time member of the history department at Troy University in Dothan, Alabama, where she teaches courses on U.S. History, Cultural History, Environmental History, Contemporary America, History of American Women, History of American Minorities, the West in American History, and Research & Methodology. She also teaches online courses for Troy University.
Her book on the history of organic food and farming was published in October 2015 by the University Press of Kansas: American Organic http://bit.ly/1HxedK1
Specialties: Environmental History, Agricultural History, 20th Century Social & Cultural movements, Food Studies, Colonial American History.
http://culturalhistoryus.weebly.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/drosullivan/
www.twitter.com/historynibbles
www.instagram.com/historynibbles
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Barnes & Noble O'Sullivan author event April 2
Barnes & Noble O'Sullivan author event April 2
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American Organic cover section
American Organic cover section
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Higher Hopes Guest Lecture poster
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Ophelia, where have you gone? To the Troy Campus Library. For the next few weeks we will have an exhibit on loan from the National Institutes of Health that examines the roles of mental and physical health as they were understood during Shakespeare's time.
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How museums are turning to virtual reality and apps to engage visitors
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History and traditions of the Kentucky Derby
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Experience
Troy University
Lecturer, History Department
Company NameTroy University
Dates EmployedJul 2010 – Present Employment Duration6 yrs 11 mos
LocationDothan, Alabama
Teaching courses on U.S. History, Cultural History, History of American Women, Contemporary America, The American West, History of American Minorities, Interwar and World War II America, and Research & Methodology. Also teaching U.S. History courses online for E-Troy.
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O'Sullivan slide show
O'Sullivan slide show
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Cultural History of the United States
Cultural History of the United States
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OSullivan Pinterest boards
OSullivan Pinterest boards
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Live at Lunch: History of Organic Food and Farming
Live at Lunch: History of Organic Food and Farming
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O'Sullivan March 2017 public lecture
O'Sullivan March 2017 public lecture
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University Press of Kansas
Author
Company NameUniversity Press of Kansas
Dates EmployedSep 2015 – Oct 2015 Employment Duration2 mos
O'Sullivan is the author of
American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating.
new in 2015 from @Kansas_Press http://bit.ly/1HxedK1
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American Organic spine, cover 2
American Organic spine, cover 2
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American Organic at Univ Press of Kansas display at American Studies Association conference
American Organic at Univ Press of Kansas display at American Studies
Association conference
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Robin's 92nd Street Y lecture slide show
Robin's 92nd Street Y lecture slide show
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University of Texas at Austin
Assistant Instructor
Company NameUniversity of Texas at Austin
Dates EmployedSep 2006 – May 2010 Employment Duration3 yrs 9 mos
Taught a course on "Of Moose and Men: Wilderness in American Culture." Prepared syllabus, compiled primary source reader, delivered lectures, facilitated discussions, and graded student assignments for multiple sections of this substantial writing component course.
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The University of Texas at Austin
Teaching Assistant
Company NameThe University of Texas at Austin
Dates EmployedOct 2005 – May 2010 Employment Duration4 yrs 8 mos
Served as T.A. for course on "Main Currents in American Culture to 1865," with 80-90 students enrolled, during Spring 2006, 2007, and 2010. Facilitated exam review sessions. Served as T.A. for course on "Main Currents in American Culture since 1865," with 94 students enrolled, during Fall 2005. Facilitated weekly discussion groups, online and in person.
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Empire State College, State University
Adjunct/ Lecturer
Company NameEmpire State College, State University
Dates EmployedSep 2005 – May 2010 Employment Duration4 yrs 9 mos
Taught distance-learning courses on "Nature in American History." Developed syllabus, readings, assignments, and lecture content. Facilitated online discussions and evaluated written work in multiple sections. The courses fulfilled a basic requirement in American history
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Education
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin
Degree Name Ph.D. Field Of Study American Studies
Dates attended or expected graduation 2004 – 2010
American Studies
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University of Southern Maine
University of Southern Maine
Degree Name Master of Arts Field Of Study American and New England Studies
Dates attended or expected graduation 2002 – 2004
American and New England Studies
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Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Degree Name Bachelor of Arts Field Of Study English Literature and Creative Writing
Dates attended or expected graduation 1995 – 1999
English Literature
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Sharon High School
Sharon High School
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Faculty & Staff
Robin O'Sullivan
Robin O'Sullivan
Lecturer, History and Philosophy Department
Education:
B.A., English Literature and Creative Writing / Minor in Religious Studies Dartmouth College
M.A., American and New England Studies, University of Southern Maine – Portland
Ph.D , American Studies, University of Texas — Austin
Area of Expertise:
U.S. Cultural History, Environmental & Agricultural History, Cultural Geography, Advertising & American Popular Culture, Food Studies, Social Movements, Regional Literature.
Biography:
Robin O'Sullivan is a lecturer in the History and Philosophy Department at Troy University. Her manuscript on the history of organic food and farming is under contract with the University Press of Kansas. She has presented academic papers at the American Studies Association; American Society for Environmental History; Gulf South History & Humanities Conference; Southern Forum on Agricultural, Rural, and Environmental History; and other meetings. She received the Faculty Senate Excellence in Teaching Award from Troy University in 2012. You can follow her on Twitter @historynibbles and on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/drosullivan/ for historically relevant items of interest.
American Organic
O'Sullivan's book, _American Organic: A Cultural History of Gardening, Farming, Shopping, and Eating_, was published in 2015 by the University Press of Kansas. For more info or to purchase a copy, visit one of these links: http://bit.ly/1HxedK1 or http://amzn.to/1J5NRlu
Robin O'Sullivan, Ph.D
Troy University - Dothan
501 University Drive, P.O. Box 8368
Rm 400, Adams Hall
Dothan, AL 36303
334-983-6556 (ext. 318)
Follow me on Twitter @historynibbles https://twitter.com/historynibbles
On Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/drosullivan/
http://culturalhistoryus.weebly.com/
Courses Taught at TROY:
U.S. History to 1877
U.S. History from 1877
Contemporary America
The Westward Movement
History of American Women
Cultural History of the U.S.
Western Civilization I & II
O'Sullivan, Robin: American organic: a cultural history of farming, gardening, shopping, and eating
J.R. Reeve
CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. 53.10 (June 2016): p1493.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association CHOICE
http://www.ala.org/acrl/choice/about
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Full Text:
O'Sullivan, Robin. American organic: a cultural history of farming, gardening, shopping, and eating. University Press of Kansas, 2015. 382p bibl index afp ISBN 9780700621330 cloth, $34.95; ISBN 9780700621583 ebook, contact publisher for price
(cc) 53-4360
TX369
2015-20382 CIP
Charting the rise of the organic movement from its humble roots in the 1940s to the flourishing industry it has become, O'Sullivan (Troy Univ.) describes the compelling, often-conflicting world view and struggles that continue to beset the organic movement today. The story starts with Jerome Rodale and his influential role in bringing organics to the US from Europe in the 1940s and goes on to recount the rise of the organic movement in the public consciousness during the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The author describes the increasing acceptance of organics and the transition from a grassroots movement to a flourishing industry. Finally, the work explores the transition of organic agriculture from associations with ascetic health food to privileged status symbol and concurrent accusations that it has sold out to big business and government regulation. The author uses numerous quotes and examples to illustrate the story. Although somewhat repetitive at times, American Organic is a readable, in-depth, often entertaining treatise on the history of the organic movement in the US. See Philip Conford's The Origins of the Organic Movement (2001) for a history of the organic movement in the UK and other parts of Europe. Summing Up: ** Recommended. All library collections.--J. R. Reeve, Utah State University
Mauldin on O'Sullivan, 'American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating'
Author:
Robin O'Sullivan
Reviewer:
Erin Mauldin
Robin O'Sullivan. American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2015. 408 pp. $34.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-7006-2133-0.
Reviewed by Erin Mauldin (Samford University)
Published on H-Environment (June, 2016)
Commissioned by David T. Benac
The production and consumption of organic food is booming. Approximately 22,000 farming operations in the United States are certified as “organic,” and the global market share of organic products has increased over 300 percent in the last two decades.[1] The popularity of organics as an agricultural method, brand, and social cause has spawned a number of academic and popular works, including Julie Guthman’s Agrarian Dreams: The Paradox of Organic Farming in California (2004) and Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006). In her timely work, Robin O’Sullivan seeks to historicize the often political content of this existing literature by tracing the evolution of the organics movement since the 1940s.
The core of American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating is the deconstruction of organic ideology and discourse. The book’s six chronological chapters show how key figures represented organic agriculture to American society over time, examining each major voice or cultural influence in turn. The first chapter introduces Jerome Irving (J. I.) Rodale, the editor of Organic Gardening magazine, who expounded the belief that “healthy soil—awash with organic matter—would produce healthy food, and in turn, healthy people” (p. 17). O’Sullivan relies heavily on his pre-1960s publications to illustrate the movement’s origins in the United States, but she also discusses the inspirations for Rodale’s work, such as Sir Albert Howard. The second chapter highlights the roles played by 1960s environmentalists and counterculturalists in transforming the organic cause. The book then covers the 1970s through the 1990s, as organics became a cause célèbre among health crusaders. These decades witnessed the death of J. I. Rodale and the emergence of his son Robert at the helm of the ever-expanding Rodale Press, as well as the rise of organic food stores and co-ops. However, as the movement exploded in popularity, it faced more serious criticism from the USDA and government officials. The final chapters break with the clean chronological structure of the previous four, and thematically explore government regulation of organic products, the origins of organic food corporations, and the broadening appeal of organics to consumers.
Implicit in O’Sullivan’s detailed discussions of cultural representation and meaning is the need to understand how a “movement” always on the margins managed to persist for so long. She argues that organics achieved mainstream legitimacy in recent decades by remaining flexible in its marketing and aims, absorbing precepts from a variety of related cultural phenomena: environmentalism, the homesteading and Back to the Land movements, and health food crusades. In O’Sullivan’s view, however, this sometimes cacophonous collection of voices prevented the social revolution promised by early proponents. Ultimately, American Organic is not about discourse at all, but about the failure of organics to challenge industrial agriculture even as it has achieved success as a cultural designation. The perpetual flux of the “organic” identity and the sometimes contradictory goals of its advocates means it has never acted as a “sweeping” movement that might bring “systemic change to agriculture” (p. 266). Instead, it encourages Americans to make changes at the individual level.
O’Sullivan’s source base is primarily the publications and remembrances of founding organicists, in addition to marketing material, media reports, and what she terms “organic iconography”—popular representations of the movement’s principles. There is little to no archival evidence or analysis. The strength of O’Sullivan’s work is the incorporation of theory from a range of disciplines, including sociology, food studies, economics, and philosophy. For instance, her explanation of how “big organics” market themselves applies theory about commodity fetishism, brand loyalty, and buying food as a communicative act. However, her focus on certain figures, such as the Rodales, limits her broader analysis. Early chapters fail to substantiate the appeal of and participation in the organic movement with quantifiable evidence, often neglecting to show us the makeup of the audience or its wider influence. The same issue plagues her chapters on more recent developments, and readers might be disappointed with the lack of context regarding changing consumption patterns and demographics within the organic base. Her use of the words and actions of only a handful of figures also makes the discussion curiously male-dominated, especially considering the work of Nancy Unger on prominent women activists in the homesteading and Back to the Land movements.[2]
American Organic will be of interest to scholars interested in twentieth-century agrarianism, the environmental movement, and cultural representations of environmental concerns. Her careful work tracing the global and domestic network of agricultural thinkers who contributed to the cause is thorough, if unsurprising. Specialists looking for more material environmental history will not find it here, for the land itself plays no role in O’Sullivan’s story. However, this kind of scholarship focusing on the intellectual influences of environmental movements is needed as American consumers increasingly demand organic and more “natural” products.
Notes
[1]. “Key Data,” The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2015, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, available at http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook/yearbook2015/pdf.html; “Annual Count of USDA-NOP Certified Organic Operations,” USDA, available at http://apps.ams.usda.gov/Integrity/Reports/Reports.aspx.
[2]. Nancy Unger, Beyond Nature’s Housekeepers: American Women in Environmental History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).
Printable Version: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=45928
Citation: Erin Mauldin. Review of O'Sullivan, Robin, American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating. H-Environment, H-Net Reviews. June, 2016.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=45928