Using the way anthropologists look at the economy (emphasis on human interaction through commodity creation and distribution), think about something you bought recently, and why you bought it. How does this item connect you to other people and places?
What are some examples of economic exchanges in your social or cultural life? Which type of exchange is most common in your life, and are there consequences to those types of exchange?
What is a place in your life that demonstrates capitalism? What does the place look like and how does it function? Bonus points if you perform some sort of (safe!) participant observation. Some points to guide you:
Who are the people working at your location (gender, race, class, ethnicity, etc.)? What are their working and living conditions like?
Do the workers make enough money to purchase the items they make? Are they even interested in the items they make or sell?
How do the prices of the items get set? Do workers have any say in it?
Compare the wages of the workers to the wages of the CEO or owner of the company. What do you notice about these values?
How easy was it to find information about the commodities you were researching in your Fieldwork Project? Why might it be hard to find this information?
Did you learn anything about how the production of this commodity impacts people and environment? How do you feel about understanding more about the production of goods from an anthropological perspective?
Now, focus on the Mardi Gras: Made in China video.
What were your feelings about the documentary as a whole? Did you learn anything from the situations portrayed?
Have you ever participated in Mardi Gras, or a similar event? Did you ever stop to reflect about who produced the beads, and what their lives might be like? Why or why not?
Who are the people working at the factory? Why does the factory manager employ particular types of workers?
What are their working and living conditions like?
Do the workers make enough money to purchase the items they make? Are they even interested in the items they make or sell?
Have any of the things you’ve learned this week made you think more about the commodities you consume, or changed your perspective on how global political economies function? Why or why not?