Reference no: EM133644291 , Length: Words Count:2500
Assignment:
Commodity Essay: 2000 to 2,500 words.
The aim of this essay is to analyse power in relation to a particular commodity.
The aim of the essay is to link production, manufacturing, exchange/distribution and consumption in relation to your chosen commodity, and to analyse the workings and sites of power in relation to that commodity. Theoretically, your essay should draw on the concepts and theories introduced in the course.
1. Choose a commodity. In making your decision consider whether there is enough material readily available for you to write y our essay.
2. Describe, briefly, key elements of the commodity's production, exchange and consumption. Focus on those that matter most to your argument about power:
- Where is it produced? By whom? How?
- How is it processed? How is it manufactured?
- How is it exchanged? How does it circulate? Where does it go to?
- Where is it consumed? By whom?
3. Where does power lie in this commodity chain?
With the producers? With the manufacturers? With those who control exchange and circulation? With consumers?
Frame your analysis of power in relation to your chosen commodity within the theoretical frameworks introduced in the course.
You will need to focus on one commodity chain in one place and at one particular time. For example, New Zealand corn commodity chain(s) are very different from the American corn commodity chain(s). In the New Zealand case, you could do fresh corn chain or a tinned or frozen corn chain, in which case you might look at growers, Watties, supermarkets and the meaning of corn fritters. In the USA case, you might look at growers, manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup (an ingredient in processed food) and breakfast cereals. What you wrote about corn in Mexico or corn in Tanzania would be very different. You can choose any geographic area or culture or society; you can analyse a contemporary chain, or you can look at a historical commodity chain - it depends on what you are interested in and what information you can find.
What you are likely to find is that you have far more information than you can include. So, choose which elements best illustrate and support your argument.
There is not necessarily any right or wrong answer as to where power lies in a particular case, what you need to do is to make a strong argument using the theoretical concepts from the course.
Sources of data:
You may make use of many kinds of data. You can re-analyse published articles and books, and make use of the websites of companies, magazines and so on.