PhD Oral Exam - Alexandra (Ali) Kenefick, Individualized Program

When studying for a doctoral degree (PhD), candidates submit a thesis that provides a critical review of the current state of knowledge of the thesis subject as well as the student’s own contributions to the subject. The distinguishing criterion of doctoral graduate research is a significant and original contribution to knowledge.

Once accepted, the candidate presents the thesis orally. This oral exam is open to the public.

Abstract

Making/Meat/Matter critiques the intersections of modernity, coloniality, and design within industrial animal-agriculture, exposing how Western ideologies drive exploitative practices that commodify both human and non-human life. This interdisciplinary thesis reveals how industrial systems perpetuate environmental degradation, inequality, and violence by reducing animals to resources and marginalizing communities within capitalist frameworks. Using Design Justice frameworks and ecofeminist theories, it advocates for ethical multispecies coexistence, sustainability, and social equity.

The thesis comprises two parts: Part I explores the historical and philosophical foundations of modernity, and its ties to colonial exploitation and industrial agriculture. It challenges the anthropocentric logic behind Western systems and their ecological harms. Part II translates these critiques into a design, a tabletop game called Making/Meat/Matter, which encourages players to examine industrial food systems and the ethical issues within.

This research-creation project bridges theory and practice by integrating design, sociology, marketing, and food studies to challenge entrenched systems and promote sustainable alternatives. By uniting these disciplines, Making/Meat/Matter positions design as a vehicle for interdisciplinary inquiry, using creative tools to engage with complex issues of identity, power, and ethical consumption. This synthesis expands the conversation on how design, when interwoven with diverse fields, can address contemporary social and environmental crises in industrial agriculture, food systems, and beyond.