Introduction In our capitalist society, we are bombarded with advertising and op

Introduction

In our capitalist society, we are bombarded with advertising and opportunities to purchase products, goods, and services seemingly non-stop with limitless choices, but being a consumer and being a responsible consumer are two different things. Consider the implications of the choices that we make as consumers in a free market economy; by buying a product, we are, in a very real sense, approving of the business decisions made by that company, unknowingly or unwillingly supporting very unethical or damaging business practices. However, although corporate power may seem insurmountable, informed and educated consumers can knowingly and deliberately make decisions that support ethical, humane, and sustainable practices by exercising the power of the consumer. This assignment asks you to explore the implications of our specific decisions as consumers by researching one product, company, service, or corporation, and recommending to your readers whether or not you think we should support it.

Topic

In an essay intended for an audience made up primarily of people who live in your region of the country, examine the effects of a decision to support a particular corporation, buy a specific item (or shop at a particular store) that is commonly available to local consumers. For example, in the film Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Robert Greenwald explores the impact of purchases at Wal-Mart. The Corporation identifies the devastating effects that corporations have on the world. In your essay, you might consider other common items: entertainment equipment such as televisions, certain kinds of clothing, gasoline, services such as wireless telephone service, or transportation such as airlines or a particular brand of automobile or type of food. You should, however, choose a specific business or company, like Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, General Motors, Monsanto, Bayer, Pfizer, or Chiquita in order to focus on a specific example. The subject of your investigation is up to you, but please try to be original and avoid the topics that are relatively familiar (or the examples from class), such as Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Nestle, Nike, cigarettes, and Starbucks.

Once you have selected the corporation that you want to focus on, closely examine the reasons that you–or any consumer–might choose to buy that item. Look at the specific choices available for that item–for example, the different kinds of cars that you could choose from if you were going to buy a car. Look at the advertisements and websites for the product or service as well. Additionally, research the possible effects that purchasing that item might have on the local economy, the global economy, politics, the environment, your health, the well-being of your neighbors and community, the workforce, and any other relevant effects. Where does our money go? Do they contribute to or support any sort of legislation that we should be aware of? Consider interviewing people who have made such a purchase and review articles you locate on the effects of your chosen purchase.

After you have explored these issues, write an essay (5 or more pages, double-spaced, in 12 point professional font such as Times New Roman) in which you make an argument about whether or not, as responsible consumers, we should spend our money on a particular product, company, or service.

Key Features:

1. An introduction that gets the reader’s attention and states your thesis. Provide an overview of your entire essay. here. Whether or not you decide to use an “essay map” in a thesis that lists your subtopics, be sure to include a claim, or unifying element, that explains your overall argument. Unless you have a good reason to place it somewhere else, this should be the last sentence of your introduction and should state specifically what your recommendations to local consumers regarding your product, service, or company are.

2. A definition of key terms: carefully explain the necessity or importance of the product that you are writing about to give your readers a clear idea of your topic (but be careful not to let this section take over your essay–limit it to one paragraph). If you are writing about a product such as oil, provide background information that explains the need for oil in the U.S., or the available alternatives to importing foreign oil.

3. Appropriate organization and paragraphing, including use of clear topic sentences that introduce your subpoints and connect them clearly to your thesis. The paragraphs should be in a logical order and use transitions to show links between ideas.

4. At least three (3) library sources, such as articles from EBSCO or Proquest.

5. At least three (3) reliable online sources; try searching using www.ipl.org.

6. Explanations that are supported with specific evidence (your evidence may come from your personal experience, field research, class readings, and library and Internet research).

7. The use of clear, well-reasoned, logical arguments as discussed in How to Write Anything.

8. A conclusion that provides closure to the essay and considers the implications of the argument.

9. MLA Style (heading, margins, title, line spacing, page numbering, parenthetical note(s), and Works Cited page.

10.Observance of the conventions of standard written English.

Outline:

Here is a sample outline:

I. Introduction

Introduce product and company; briefly mention your subtopics; provide necessary background information; define any important terms (if necessary, these can be separate paragraphs); state thesis.

II. Explain how company or product is perceived by consumers

Use researched articles, interviews, personal experience, and/or testimonials (from consumer websites or blogs, for example) to support your points.

III. Describe how the company represents itself in its promotional materials (ads, website, etc.)

Use an analysis of ads, the website, and/or other print materials.

IV. Present your research on the business practices of the company (multiple paragraphs)

Using cause / effect reasoning–and avoiding faulty cause fallacies—describe the impact or repercussions of buying a particular product (i.e. the investment in a product supports sweatshops, creates profits for a company with unethical business practices, leads to environmental damage, etc.; or, ethically, the company simply misrepresents itself through its advertising or other promotional materials. Use researched articles, interviews, personal experience, and/or testimonials (from consumer websites or blogs, for example) to support your points. Remember to use the Toulmin logic model to clearly explain how the evidence you present supports the points you are using it to support.

V. Present your reasons to buy or not to buy the product

Use an appropriate method of reasoning (inductive, deductive, Rogerian, traditional) to explain to your readers why you feel a product is worth buying or not due to the company’s business practices. Support your argument with concrete evidence (quotes, observations, personal experience, reasons).

VI. Address and refute opposing arguments and/or objections to your argument

Objectively explain the opposing point of view (to your own), and then explain why you choose not to support that position (i.e. it’s illogical, untrue, not the best solution to the problem, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages).

VII. Conclusion

Offer alternatives for consumers to the product that you have reviewed negatively; suggest what your readers might do (like boycott a particular brand of clothing) in order to avoid supporting environmentally dangerous products; or make recommendations to the company on behalf of your readers.