The "Where My Stuff Comes From" Project

You need to compile a list of AT LEAST fifty (50) items for which you've found the "Made in..." label. You should find many items in several categories such as:

• clothes
• food (both perishables and non-perishable)
• electronics (stuff that you either plug into the wall or that requires batteries)
• durables (stuff that lasts years like furniture and knick-knacks)
• non-durables (stuff that doesn't last and is either totally throwaway or is kinda disposable, like soap, cleaning supplies, staples or cheap plastic crap from Wal-Mart).

The point is to discover trends in where certain types of stuff is made. Don't eliminate stuff just because it doesn't fit a trend you'd like to show, however, the bigger your list the better, and the more significant the trends will become. This is an "easy" grade, but I will take off for obvious laziness or lack of accuracy.

Project Requirements - mail or email it to me.

Your list can be simply typed into a word processor or put on a spreadsheet. As long as it's organized looking, I'll be happy. It must be categorized by type of products, with the city, country, region and/or realm of origin listed (at a minimum: city for USA stuff, country for the rest). You could get creative and diligent by making your list a second time, this time categorizing by place with the various products listed in the place categories. Then make an analysis of your list(s). Try to determine trends or generalize about things like: what parts of the world are producing what kinds of stuff AND WHY. When considering what to write about in your analysis, think about:

1. Core-Periphery relationships and globalization from the Introduction (p 20-22)
2. "Productive activities" / Components of the Spatial Economy from the North America chapter (p 123)
3. The "Demographic Transition" from the South Asia chapter (pp 277-8)
4. Rostow's stages of development from the East Asia chapter (p 323)

Your analysis should be about one page, but can be longer if necessary