Synthesis Essay on Consumerism and Commodification

AP English Language and Composition

Synthesis Essay on Consumerism and Commodification

Consumerism is a term used to describe a social and economic system that encourages the ever-increasing consumption of goods and services. Commodification (or commoditization) is a related term used to describe the process of turning ideas, values, and other entities not normally regarded as a commodity (an economic product) into a commodity. 

Imagine that a school district looking to make its curriculum more relevant to life in the 21^st century has asked you to evaluate the role of consumerism and commodification in contemporary American culture. Carefully review the sources I've provided in this unit. Then synthesize information from at least five (5) of the sources and incorporate that information into a coherent, well-developed essay that identifies the key issues associated with consumerism and commodification and that examines their implications for life in the 21^st century.

Make sure that your argument is central; use the sources to illustrate and support your reasoning. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Cite the sources using the information provided below in parentheses.

[Based on your choices in class 2/4/15]

Source A (Waterson)                                      “Endorsing Products is the American Way…” (comic)

Source B (Kruger)                                           “I Shop Therefore I Am” (photo collage)

Source C (Banksy)                                          “Bansky on Advertising” (text & shaped text)

Source D (Rockwell, Jr.)                                 “In Defense of Consumerism” (persuasive essay)

Source E (Johnson)                                         “When teens talk, companies listen” (newspaper article)

Source F (Shah)                                              “Consumption and Consumerism (researched essay)

Source G (Atwan)                                           “Packaging Culture” (introductory essay)

Source H (Amnesty International)                  “What Price for Those Diamonds?” (poster)

Source I (Standage)                                        “Our Thirst for Bottled Water” (persuasive essay)

Source J (New York Times)                             “Lots of Bottles” (graphs & chart)

Source K (Snyders)                                         “The Full MoA (Mall of America)” (essay with photographs)

Source L (Adbusters)                                      “Think Globally Before You Decide...” (satirical ad)

Source M (Frank)                                            “The Conquest of Cool” (persuasive essay)

Source O (Boihem)                                         "The Ad and the Ego" (documentary)

Source P (Goodman)                                      "The Merchants of Cool" (documentary)

Source Q (Dretzin and Goodman)               "The Persuaders" (documentary)

Source R (Koughan and Rushkoff)               "Generation Like" (documentary)

Source S (                                            )           ____________________________________

Source T (                                            )           ____________________________________

Source U (                                           )           ____________________________________

Source V (                                           )           ____________________________________

Understanding and Participating in a Societal “Conversation”:

Consumerism and Commodification

Understanding the range of positions within the “conversation”

0. Read and annotate the “Consumerism and Commodification” packet (plus one other source not in the packet*). Annotate with the prompt in mind and annotate for rhetorical strategies._______________

1. What is the purpose of each text in the packet? Persuade? Inform? Engage and entertain? How so? Write each purpose down. (If the purpose is persuasion, what is the central position of the text? If the purpose is information, what is the information about and what does the information imply or suggest?) ___________

2. In your assigned group make a map of the conversation. In the middle of the map write “Consumerism and Commodification” in an oval. Draw lines from the oval out to the title of each text. Draw a line from the title of each text to a sentence stating the purpose of each text. Visually depict the relationship between the different texts. How you do this is up to you. For example, you might draw lines between purposes that seem related, draw a series of x’s between purposes that seem to oppose or contradict each other, and use colors to indicate certain types of texts and/or strategies. Be creative. Show understanding and insight. Be awesome.  ____________

Going deeper into a single text

3. I will assign you a text in the packet to look at more closely. You will write a 150-200 word formal annotation. What does that mean? A formal annotation includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation of the text. (These annotations are important for creating annotated bibliographies, annotated works cited, and annotated works consulted pages. We’re not creating those now, but we’re practicing for later in the year.)______________

Identifying and examining implications of issues within the “conversation”

4. Annotate the “Consumerism and Commodification” prompt on the front of the packet. Identify key words and phrases. What is the prompt asking you to do? What does it mean to “identify issues”? What does consumerism mean? What does commodification mean? What does it mean to “examine the implications”? _________

5. Make a mini-map of the issues and the implications of the issues within the text you were assigned and within a source not in the packet*. For each text write the title and the purpose of the text in the middle. Connect the title/purpose to issues. Connect the issues to the implications of that issue. This will help your assigned group plan a response to the prompt._________________________

6. Get together with your assigned group. Together you will make a map of the issues and implications in the whole packet.
• First your group will work from the mini-maps you created in step 5. Write “Consumerism and Commodification” in the middle. Draw a line to each issue your group members identified in their mini-maps. Connect each issue to one or more implication. Then connect each issue/implication strand to the particular texts in the packet related to the issue/implication. _____________

• Then you’ll link up with other groups. Add to your map using other groups’ ideas about issues related to consumerism and commodification, the implications of those issues, and the texts that contain those issues and suggest those implications. _____________

Entering the conversation

7. Read and annotate the “locavore” prompt and essay you are given. Make a map of the essay. Put the author’s central argument in the middle. Connect the central argument to issues. Connect issues to implications. Connect issues/implications to support from sources. What does the map reveal about the effectiveness of the essay’s response to the prompt? _________________________

8. Use your group’s map of the issues and implications to make a map of your own that you will use as the basis for a response to the consumerism and commodification prompt. Put your central argument in the middle. Connect the central argument to issues. Connect issues to implications. Connect issues/implications to support from sources. _________________________

9. Write, self/peer assess, and revise an essay in response to the consumerism and commodification prompt. (Note: Using the locavore essay as a model we will all create narrative openings this time.)  _________________________

At the end you’ll have

0. informal annotations of each text in the packet (and one additional text not in the packet)
1. a list of statements about the purpose of each text in the packet
2. a group map of the “conversation”
3. a formal annotation (summary, analysis, evaluation) of one text in the packet
4. an annotated prompt (on the front of the packet)
5. a mini-map of the issues/implications within the text you were assigned and a text not in the packet
6. a group map of the issues/implications within the whole packet
7. a mini-map of the “locavore” essay
8. a pre-writing map to help you write your own essay
9. an essay addressing the “commodification and consumerism” prompt. (You will have at least two drafts of the essay. The first draft will show evidence of self/peer assessment.)