Commodities andConsumption Commodities are products of social relations. That is, human beings produce them and they derive their value from human labor. Yet, once commodities hit the market, they become simple objects to be bought and sold. We usually do not know about where, how, by whom and under what specific work conditions these commodities are produced and how they find their places in the fancy stores from where we buy them. In this sense, commodities are objects that have “mysterious origins.” We live in a society in which identity is often constructed through acts of consumption. To put it simply, we are what we buy. We all buy commodities, attach meanings to them and make them a part of our material and symbolic life. For example, we love our shoes or sweaters; some love diamond rings or a gold necklace, or many of us just cannot live without chocolate or coffee. Although we know little about their origins, these commodities link us to people around the world who produce for us. I want you to choose a commodity (diamonds, coffee, bananas, shoes, etc.) produced outside of the US, conduct research and write an essay that addresses these questions: 1) Where is the commodity produced? What corporate entity controls the production and distribution of that commodity? 2) Who are the people producing this commodity? Under what kind of work and health conditions do they produce? 3) Are there any negative impacts of the production of this commodity on the environment? If yes, what are the impacts and how do they harm the environment? 4) How does the commodity enter our life in the US? What does the commodity mean to us? Step 1: Decide which commodity you will write on and pick one company and one country that produce this commodity. For example, if you select bananas, you must select one brand name (e.g. Chiquita) and one country of origin (e.g. Ecuador). Or, if you select diamonds, you should select one company (e.g. De Beers) and one country (e.g. South Africa). Step 2: Go to a place where this commodity is sold and try to learn about some basic information about the commodity. You are lucky, if you find a person who is willing or has knowledge to answer your questions. I suggest being direct and clear about your intentions when talking to people. You can simply say that you are a student researching the production of a commodity. Ask for basic information about production and distribution systems and transportation networks. For example, if you are researching coffee production, is it produced on a plantation owned by the same company that imports it to the US? Or, is it grown by small farmers and sold to a centralized buyer who then sells it, say, to Folgers? This information should only provide the basic frame of reference for your paper and should NOT make up a major portion of your paper content. Don’t get discouraged if they don’t want to answer your questions, but think why they don’t deliver that information! Step 3: Find the a.

1. Commodities andConsumption
Commodities are products of social relations. That is, human
beings produce them and they derive their value from human
labor. Yet, once commodities hit the market, they become
simple objects to be bought and sold. We usually do not know
about where, how, by whom and under what specific work
conditions these commodities are produced and how they find
their places in the fancy stores from where we buy them. In this
sense, commodities are objects that have “mysterious origins.”
We live in a society in which identity is often constructed
through acts of consumption. To put it simply, we are what we
buy. We all buy commodities, attach meanings to them and
make them a part of our material and symbolic life. For
example, we love our shoes or sweaters; some love diamond
rings or a gold necklace, or many of us just cannot live without
chocolate or coffee. Although we know little about their origins,
these commodities link us to people around the world who
produce for us.
I want you to choose a commodity (diamonds, coffee, bananas,
shoes, etc.) produced outside of the US, conduct research and
write an essay that addresses these questions:
1) Where is the commodity produced? What corporate entity
controls the production and distribution of that commodity?
2) Who are the people producing this commodity? Under what
kind of work and health conditions do they produce?
3) Are there any negative impacts of the production of this
commodity on the environment? If yes, what are the impacts
and how do they harm the environment?
4) How does the commodity enter our life in the US? What does
the commodity mean to us?
Step 1: Decide which commodity you will write on and pick one
company and one country that produce this commodity. For

2. example, if you select bananas, you must select one brand name
(e.g. Chiquita) and one country of origin (e.g. Ecuador). Or, if
you select diamonds, you should select one company (e.g. De
Beers) and one country (e.g. South Africa).
Step 2: Go to a place where this commodity is sold and try to
learn about some basic information about the commodity. You
are lucky, if you find a person who is willing or has knowledge
to answer your questions. I suggest being direct and clear about
your intentions when talking to people. You can simply say that
you are a student researching the production of a commodity.
Ask for basic information about production and distribution
systems and transportation networks. For example, if you are
researching coffee production, is it produced on a plantation
owned by the same company that imports it to the US? Or, is it
grown by small farmers and sold to a centralized buyer who
then sells it, say, to Folgers? This information should only
provide the basic frame of reference for your paper and should
NOT make up a major portion of your paper content. Don’t get
discouraged if they don’t want to answer your questions, but
think why they don’t deliver that information!
Step 3: Find the answers of the following questions: Describe
the demographic composition of the workers who produce this
commodity? Are they villagers or urban people; men or women;
children or adults? What kind of pay and health benefits do they
receive? Do they have job security? How is work organized in
the place of production? How much do they have to work? Are
there any health hazards to the workers?
Step 4: The production of most vegetables, fruits, minerals or
metals has negative impacts on the environment such as
deforestation, destruction of eco-systems, environmental
pollution or contamination of water resources. For this step, you
need to find out the environmental impacts of the production of
this commodity and the effects of these on people’s lives in the
area.
Step 5: Explore how the commodity figures in our material and
symbolic lives as US consumers. When and why do we buy or

3. use this commodity? What cultural significance, value and
meaning does it have in our lives? For instance, do we
incorporate it into daily rituals or is it reserved for special
occasions? Is it a luxury item or inexpensive basic good? Does
everyone use this commodity or just a small sector of the
population? For this part, you are expected to conduct short
interviews about the use and meaning of the commodity for
people.Step 6: Write a five-page paper that includes each and
every step stated above. A successful paper should analyze and
reflect on the topic, NOT simply provide a list of facts to fulfill
the requirements stated above. In your conclusion I want you
also include one or two paragraphs about what new things you
learned from this research and how this knowledge changed
your ideas about the commodity you studied.
Sources: For your paper, you are expected to use information
directly from the store or company, academic articles/books, the
Internet and personal interviews. You should refer to at least
three academic sources. You may use company websites to
gather information, but be careful when using such information
and don’t take it at face value because such websites function as
advertisements. Use academic sources at the UM libraries to
support your arguments and analysis. Format Guidelines: The
paper should be five pages; Times New Roman, 12 fonts,
double-spaced, page-numbered and one inch margins all around.
It should include a title, a clear introduction, a coherent and
well-presented body, a conclusion, and a bibliography on page
6. Use proper citation whenever you refer to or quote from a
source. Do not use or copy any information, unless you clearly
cite them as sources. Otherwise, it will be evaluated as
plagiarism – a serious academic offense. To organize your
citations and bibliography, you can use the Chicago-Style
Citation Quick Guide. You can also use some other academic
style to do the bibliography.
PAGE
2

4. CHAPTERS DECIDING THE COURSE OF ACTION
SUMMARY
One of the unique features of each of the K.T. strategies is the
way they are
able to display the data. In each case, with the KTSA, KTPA,
KTDA, and
KTPPA, you fill out a table and then analyze the data in that
table in order to
reach a decision.
SITUATION APPRAISAL
Timing Trend Impact Next Process
Problems (H, M, L) (H, M, L) (H, M,L) (KTPA, KTDA,
KTPPA)
1.
2.
3.
PROBLEM AN
Is Is Not Di
What

5. Where
When
Extent
DECISION AN
Alternative
Solution
A
Musts 1.
2.
Go
Go
Wants Weight Rating Score
1.
2.

6. Total A =
POTENTIAL PROBL
Potential
Problems Possible Causes
A. 1.
2.
B. 1.
2.
Copyright Kepner—Tregoe, Inc., 1994. Reprinted wi
ExE~
WE
TECH 331 – Technology Problem
Analysis & Design II

7. Homework 10
Assignment:
Select a business of your own choosing (restaurant, deli,
bakery, print shop, hardware store, or other
business) and get approval from the manager/owner to
determine the problems faced by the employees.
Select two problems, analyze, generate, and evaluate potential
solutions for each problem. Use the
appropriate K.T. methods as covered in Chapter 8 in our
textbook, “Strategies for Creative Problem
Solving” (general summary on page 214) and include them in
the turned in homework. Include an
introductory paragraph detailing the type of business that you
chose and how many problems that you
uncovered. You may do this assignment in Word or Excel.
For the two problems, you must create a K.T. Situation Analysis
for both problems. Then depending on
the problem, you must do the appropriate K.T. method for the

8. next action for each problem.
Formatting:
- Use black text only.
- Text size needs to be 12 point size.
- Margins on the document should be 1’’ on all sides.
- The following name block should appear in the upper
right of your document:
Your Name
TECH 331 –Technology Problem Analysis II
December 4, 2013
- Title of your document is “Homework 10.”
- Please spell check and proofread your work.

9. - Please add page numbers to your document.
Content:
Opinion: When a question asks for your opinion, its answer is
exactly that-your opinion. Feel free to
use your own opinion.
Cite Examples: For this class, you may use a citation right after
the answer to a question, or you may list
your references at the end of the project. It is not required to
have a separate reference page for this
class.
Stating the Question before Answering It: While some reports
require that you state the question
before your answer, in this class it is not required to do this.

10. Saving/Naming Your File:
When you save your file, make sure that your name and the
project number are included in it.
Example: YourName331HW10
Due Date: December 4, 2013.
homework 10TECH 331- homework 10