UofM Commodification and Globalization of Palm Oil Case Study

I’m studying for my Writing class and need an explanation.

Research and write a short analysis of one important moment in the commodification and globalization of one commodity (in most cases, early 20th century or prior). Just a few examples could include bananas, cement, diamonds, palm oil, rubber, tobacco… (but not wheat, corn, cotton, or petroleum; if chocolate or coffee, must be 19th century or earlier). Specifically, your case study should

1. pick a commodity, and then pick a single phase or moment in the process of it becoming a commodity, and analyze how that change came about. Remember, commodification is the process of creating all the right conditions so that a particular thing can be produced, for profit, on a large scale, for large markets (often for a global market). Remember also that commodification is an ongoing process—nothing is ever fully commodified, merely commodified to a greater or lesser extent.
2. contextualize this moment of commodification within the broader history of the commodity, but focus most energy on one time and place: what change occurred, and why is it a particularly important moment?
3. use the concepts from the readings and class as an integral part of the analysis, employing quotes from the readings (and sources) where appropriate. For a definition and discussion of commodification, refer to the lectures especially in Weeks 2-3. Be sure to demonstrate your understanding of our assigned readings from Weeks 2-3 (Nature’s Metropolis and The Travels of a T-Shirt) in your analysis. Readings see attached file. 

This case study will be graded according to the following criteria:

• How well it describes and analyzes the chosen moment of commodification,
• How well this analysis integrates the readings and the larger context of the course,
• How well it meets academic writing
• An excellent case study will use the concepts from the readings and class as an integral part of the analysis, employing quotes from the readings (and sources) where appropriate. It will be written to academic style: be sure to edit and proofread. The sources used will be appropriate to the topic, properly cited, and of academic quality. It may use popular sources (newspapers, magazines, online sites, etc.), but it must also make meaningful use of at least 2 scholarly, non-class sources (scholarly = academic = peer-reviewed journal articles or books; see below), and it must cite them properly.