Supermarkets, its location of Product Placement and Manipulation Toward the Consumer

            As I begin my journey of shopping for myself and as the “Other in the supermarket, I often ask myself do I shop out of instinct or because I have freedom of choice?   After reading Raj Patel’s Stuffed and Starved(2003), I contemplate what he proposes about the manipulation of the architecture of the supermarket and its overhaul geography of  placement on products in order to further understand my own judgment and role as the consumer. For this reason, my journey will then begin by evaluating three supermarkets Safeway, Winco, and Wal-Mart in the Palouse area.

            To begin, I must compose my own personal shopping list. Hence, I am already on a strict diet and budget like many other students with limited funding.  Unfortunately, this makes it nearly impossible for me to buy whole foods from a natural food store due to my budget being at least $30.00 -$40.00 every two weeks or more depending on what I buy.  My diet alone and my allergies to dairy forces me to look at every label I encounter to check if there is milk, dry milk or contains milk in the product.  In reality, if I was not allergic I really do not think I would care about looking at the ingredient section nor spend a huge amount of time trying to see other options. The good thing about this is I can steer clear away from milk products. Nevertheless, as Patel notes supermarkets like Wall-mart, Safeway, and Winco atomically place this product at the end of the store as a way for the customer to roam around to buy more items.  For me, I actually buy boxed Almond or Coconut Milk that is usually placed in some far off corner that is typically near the baking items close to the end of aisles, which to me makes no sense at all but it also does make you look around the store. If you have a sweet tooth at Wincos or at Safeway than you will buy more products. 

            As a student, products like cereals, breakfast bars, ramen, oatmeal, and pasta are always on display either near the entrance or in the beginning of each section.  These items are mostly purchased by students because of their nature of being an instant meal for which this is important for people who are pressed on time due to studying.  Other products that are a must for students are from the frozen food section.  Here, pizza, burritos, and instant Chinese foods are on display at the beginning of each section and close in location proximity for the customer to dive into their indulgence of junk food.  I myself must admit have been a fan of the frozen food section until I decided to prepare my own food as a healthier choice. This change of alternative cuts the cost from buying a $3.00 person pan pizza or a larger portion that is around  $5.00 to a lot less. Additionally, this results in somewhat knowing what ingredients are being put on your pizza because you are the one preparing the meal. However, there is still the risk not really knowing what is in your food unless you really further research each item and know the differences.

            Thus, after observing my own list of products, I then decided to find a diet exclusively gluten free as part of being the “Other.” Gluten, a protein composite derived from processed wheat is also a starch and an additive to food low in protein. This substance has often at times caused many issues for people diagnosed with Celiac Disease. As consequence, people may suffer symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, hair loss, unexplained weight loss or gain, loss of appetite, chronic gas, and bloating. Other symptoms that are more concerning is the fact that gluten may also cause depression and anxiety.  For me, this is a question of concern because how can a food additive cause so much pain to a person.  However, this is the case for those who suffer this disease and to live a happier life than gluten free is necessary. For this reason, I wanted to find how supermarkets list gluten free products.  Today because of the Food Drug Administration(FDA) making apparent the need to label gluten free products, there are signs everywhere stating this, yet most product may cost $2.00 more than products with gluten. For instance, instant oatmeal with gluten cost $3.49 while without runs around  $5.29.  Gluten free items are also placed in sections that are not at the eye view of the customer making it apparent  that the stores do not want the customer to buy gluten free but rather a gluten product because it is cheaper for industry to produce.

Here is an example of how a customer may demand for  change and
thee response from the corporation to fit the needs of the customer.

            In sum, after observing how supermarkets control their environment to further control the consumer, I find myself disturbed. I am plagued by the mere the fact that I am consumer that falls into to their death trap by buying products that are more processed because of seeing it right smack in my face. Other reasons why I am upset is because now I am aware of the planning of supermarkets and their methods to control the consumer by playing with our instincts to shop for something for convenience  or at an eye view. Then I ask myself can this be stopped and the answer is yes. If there are labels like gluten free out there it is because the customer demanded a change because we want to know what is in our food. However, the food industry will keep playing its role of manipulating consumer as long as we allow it. 

Is the Center for Consumer Freedom Really for the People?

   When I watched the video about the Center for Consumer Freedom(CCF) my initial reaction was being dazed and confused. To me it was evident that the video seemed to present itself as an advocate for us the individual and the consumer's rights. However, after a few seconds it started talking about the fight against taxes on candy bars and how organizations such as People for the Ethnical Treatment of Animals(PETA), Center for Science in the Public Interest  and other organizations were going to far in telling us how to run our lives. In other words,  the Center for Consumer Freedom aimed to present a honest debate mainly about food and beverages but is it really in favor for the consumer?

   In reality, the Center for Consumer Freedom is a non-profit American lobby group. As seen in the video, this group mainly focused on how to inform us, defend our consumer choice, and promote common sense. However,  this group failed to tell us their own reality. It is a coalition of restaurants and food companies and other individuals that was founded by Richard Berman an executive director of  Berman and Company. This coalition campaigned against  PETA, The Disease Control, and other agencies that have informed Americans about what is in our food and to be conscious on how animals are treated or any other social problem related to this topic.  

       An example of the Center for Consumer Freedom from their website an article titled "Health Food, or Slick Marketing?" explored the reality of organic food.The text argued about how the process of organic food was just more expensive and in fact there was no clear evidence stating better health benefits of this type of  product than purchasing other natural products.  Justin Wilson from the CCF in his interview with Johns Stossel from Fox News in the segment called " Is Organic Food Worth the Price?" believed organic food was "eco-fads rooted in elitism."


http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1245915096001/is-organic-food-worth-the-price/


http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/h/4552-health-foods-or-slick-marketing


Then this corespondent further affirmed that  the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) only labeled Organic products as a marketing tool.  For author Raj Patel  of Stuffed and Starved(2007), he pointed out that instead of having a higher cost of food that differentiated healthy food for the poor make it more affordable and accessible to everyone. Organic foods could be a fad; however, there are differences in its process with lesser chemicals or none at all.  Moreover,  these products are getting to more preferred nowadays and as an result, it is transforming the food industry and how the food production system has been industrialized is being further questioned.  For farmers producing organic items, they might progress in markets that have been bullied by corporations like Wal-mart or Tyson.  To me,  this article established the perspective of the CCF on organic foods in order to discourage buying these products by also placing an emphasis on class in order to demonstrate the higher cost of these items. Thus, Justin Wilson further included in his interview about buying locally.  He believed that this placed a carbon footprint as well as buying product from other people elsewhere but to him, people only bought these products in order for them to" feel better."  To me, I found that this comment about locally grown food failed to conceive a better argument since in reality locally grown food is more beneficial. As Patel noted, local products are often more cheaper than the supermarket,  better for the local economy, and they are less processed making them healthier(307-308). In other words, locally grown products are more beneficial to the local economy hence corporations like Wal-mart are not benefiting from it unless they join into buying these type of products by changing the way it has done business due to consumption of consumers and the idea of supply and demand.
     In reexamining both the article and video, the Center for Consumer Freedom capitalized on their power of persuasion by misinforming the consumer.  In order to keep the consumer, they must delegitimize other organization and agencies, yet they toyed with the idea of consumer freedom and choice.  For Patel, “Choice is the word we’re left with to describe our plucking one box rather than another off the shelves, and it’s the word we’re taught to use"(254). This meant the word "choice" was conditioned to us in which the consumer believed that they had a choice. However for Wal-mart locations in poorer areas, customers did not have a choice of an alternative on item since there was no other stores near by. To me, this suggested the present power relationship of corporations with its consumers where corporations are on top and the consumer is at the bottom. Thus, Patel also argued the fact that the consumer relied not on choice but rather on instincts in which corporations and other forces tried to condition and control.  For instance, CCF creating their perspective they aimed to alter the person's instinct to engage in other possiblities to change their mind in consumption of healthier foods and buying locally. Furthermore,  the video and the article do not care about the dignity of the individual-the consumer, the farmer, and the American public.  In fact, corporations' interests have always been to gain more profit rather than looking at the bigger picture of a change of diet that is desperately needed and treating  farmers fairly instead of exploiting them and their workers.
    As Patel noted in both in his book and radio discussion, the people need to get angry for change to occur.  In reality, rather than consumer freedom, we need food sovereignty, which is a" vision that aims to redress the abuse of the powerless by the powerful, wherever in the food system that abuse may happen"(303). In other forms, this addressed the issue of how peoople are being treated by the powerful or corporations in which a consumer was made to think they are the ones that are stupid for purchasing better quality food. In contrast, the reality is the food industry-corporations- are the ones who set the price.  For me, I believe in order to change this cycle of manipulation by corporations, there is need for reclaiming control not only at an individual level but at a collective level. For CCF, this group aimed to be your friend as a strategy to further control the consumer in order to further neglect how they process food, or exploit farmers and workers.  Similarly, they played with issues of class status for their own benefit to further manipulate us into believing that they are right.

On their website, they neglected true issues such as obesity.  Rather than stating it is social issue they demonstrated their point of view with sarcastic cartoons poking fun of this problem and by blaming other institutions like the Education system. 



    

       In essence, consumers play a critical role in changing the food industry.  With this being said, consumer freedom is an idea or tool to manipulate  individuals to be led to believe that they have freedom of choice.  In contrast, food sovereignty  is one of the ways to get our dignity back by demanding rights and snapping the wielded power of the bottleneck corporations and their influences over our own government and our lives.  As Patel stated with his analogy of the "Emperor with No Clothes", instead of everyone denying the facts address them and make changes by educating ourselves and tranforming the way we think about food and product consumption.


Work Cited:
Patel, Raj. Stuffed and Starved. London: Portabello Books, 2007.


"Center for Consumer Freedom." Wikipedia  2011. 30 Oct 2011
 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Consumer_Freedom>.

       

Hawaiian Labor Unions and the 1946 Sugar Stike

      Living in Hawai`i your whole life, you get an understanding for the importance of labor unions and organizations.  As a child, the curriculum only  focused just slightly on strikes in the 20^th century but without them, there would not be any progress in the Hawaiian Islands and its influence elsewhere with the organization of unions.   My father was always proud to be part of the Hawaiian Laborers Union Association.  He felt a sense of comfort and he knew that they would assist him if there were any inequalities being administered toward him or others. Labors unions make sure their members acquire pension plans, health care, fair wages, and work compensation when injured. Without them, I probably would not be here at this university today.  For these reasons stated above, I would like to present, a moment of significant history and transformation, the 1946 Sugar Strike.

             To understand this strike one must clearly take an account a little bit of history of Hawai`i.   The State of Hawai`i did not become a state until 1959.  Prior to this, the islands had a monarchy that was annexed not once but twice. Under the Newsland Joint Resolution in 1901, Hawai`i was finally annexed due to the importance of Pu`uloa -Pearl Harbor- to the United States Military especially during the Spanish American War in 1898 and the White elite in power.  These settlers like many others before them changed the face of the Hawaiian nation by creating more inequalities. For instance, the sugar and pineapple plantations exemplified a feudal system of labor in which the owners controlled the lives and families of their workers.

The Big-Five were subsidiaries and parent  companies –American Factors (Amfac), Castle &Cook, C. Brewer, Alexander &Baldwin, and Theo H. Davies &Co.- of the White Elite in Hawai`i in power.  These companies  not only controlled  the economic sector in Hawai`i but also in the educational and political institutions of the then Hawaiian nation and territory of the United States( The 1946 Sugar Strike).
      Thus, the people working in the plantations totaled 1/5 of all of  Hawaii's population. Because of the importance of sugar during the 19th and 20th century in the World's economy, many plantation companies contracted workers from different countries to work in this industry. These laborers were Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Chinese, and  also Hawaiian.  Because these groups were from different countries, they did not speak the same language and were segregated in different camps as a way to prevent communication and solidarity.  However, many workers understood that they were treated unfairly and the pay grade was different for each ethnic group, for example, the Japanese earned $0.99 an hour as oppose to the Filipinos workers who earned $0.69.

            The  Sugar Strike of 1946  was one of the most important strikes in the history of Hawai`i. As  Solomon mentioned in the strike of 1919, both the Japanese and Filipino labor groups demanded better working conditions, higher wages, and eight-hour work days(12).  In order to continue controlling the work force, the plantation owners evicted the strikers from their homes, hired strikebreakers, and leaders were  prosecuted for conspiracy.  However, this group continued fighting and were granted most of their demands.  As a result, these two groups placed pressure toward  the plantation owners and  the laborers throughout the years came to an understanding that the key for change and transformation was unity and organization. Thus, in efforts to go on strike in 1946,   solidarity was essential  and all labors needed to be unionized island-wide.

       The International Longshore and Warehouse Union  and sugar plantation workers began  to unionize and effectively strategized to reduce failure.   This union, established finally in  August 11, 1937,  replacing the old union International Longshoreman Association. Their main focus was to reorganize workers and in the  Hawaii chapter, this union included sugar and pineapple workers, hotel workers, and  dock workers.  For the Sugar Strike in 1946, some leaders like Jack Hall from the ILWU came to the islands to assist in the labor movement that was embarking.  For both the ILWU and the sugar plantation workers, it was important that there were leaders from each camp that were recognizable and respected.  The leaders needed to be informed in order to inform others in their groups and to have others sign up for the union. This method of strategy was a way to utilize all the uses. Other leaders came from sport organizations and volunteer activities such as OLAA Surf Riders Baseball Team.  For the ILWU, it  was important to involve new leaders such as Eddie Lapu  from the Wailua Sugar Cane Plantation to help with the organization of the unions and to have others sign up. Because plantations enforced their own law, they prohibited organizing, which made this somewhat difficulty in organizing and having member sign up for the union.  However, the workers would meet after 9:00 PM once they were off work and they organized meetings at  Post Office places that were United States government owned. At one point in some plantations, new members signed up in the restrooms.  The plantations in order to discourage laborers, brought more workers approximately 6,000 from the Philippines in 1946.

However, upon arrival the workers on the ships were already affiliated with the ILUW because they like many others believed in having better pay and benefits. The end result of signing all workers brought a strength in numbers and a disruptions could occur to create pressure.
    The strike itself took a year to finally become organized. Prior to this , a selected groups of  workers were sent to the mainland California in formal educations on organizing,  ideology of labor history and law,  and also they attended live practicums of other union struggles.  To have this was essential in order to have a sound organized union and strike. In addition, prior to the sugar strike,  there was already comprise drawn up that allowed workers more pay than  24 cents an hour. However,  workers aimed to get paid $0.65 an hr,  work 40 hours a week, but most importantly, they wanted to eliminate  the prerequisite of free provision of  medicare, housing , and fuel.  The perquisite only made plantations perpetuate their control and  power by enslaving workers to harsh treatment and horrible living condition to their standards. Instead the union proposed that this should come out of their pay. In addition, the union demanded a union store and security in their jobs.

    In the end, the Sugar Strike in Hawaii started in September 1946 and ended on November 17, 1946.  There were 33 out of 34 plantations on strike with approximately 25,000 workers officially picketing.  Because the men were on strike the family was also in support of this strike in which this meant 75, 000 people were on strike.  During the strike everyone had a job either transporting workers, making food, going to meetings,  or providing entertainment for morale. It seemed that no one was left behind and although many did not speak the same language,  the union made sure communications were in Ilokano, Tagalog, Japanese, Chinese and Standard English.  Although there was opposition due to Hawaiian law favoring the management in prohibiting unlawful assembly, the people took the risk by attesting the constitution of territorial law by getting arrested.  In other words, the workers did not show fear and challenged the authority.  This pressure enforced accomplished change in labor in Hawai`i and the end of a feudal system. The workers earned a 20-40 % increase, 40 hours a week workdays, and the end of provision. In addition, there  was new management in which found the need to negotiate and allow grievances to be addressed instead of ignoring the workers.
   Thus,  to many workers from this era and myself this was a social victory. This transformed the lives of many and changed the lives of the community.   In the documentary about this strike called the 1946 Sugar Strike, one woman noted that they were fighting for their children and to change the future. Many were tired of being treated as second class citizens and demanded a voice.  Other ways where this sugar strike changed the course of the future is in the state government.  Those who were  citizens working on the plantations registered to vote then later voted on candidates that did not ignore the workers and their demands.  Because of this in Hawai`i till this day, the house majority is democratic and not republican.
  In sum,  when there is a strike in Hawai`i the people support them and their demands.  Without those brave people who did strike those last few months in 1946, Hawai`i would possible continued to be a feudal system of labor and there would not be a sense of racial equality in Hawai`i.  Although there is still some disparities in Hawai`i,  I know this union like many others are still standing strong in Hawai`i even though the number has dropped elsewhere.  My point is the strike created change in Hawai`i and transformed the working class to be acknowledge as a voice to be heard. As a result, there is ethnic diversity, hybridity in language and culture, and a sense of pride to be from Hawai`i.  I also believe the reason why many do not know about this Sugar Strike in history books  is because many books fail to recognize Hawai`i as a state and only remember Pearl Harbor in 1941. They  do not look  beyond that nor remember that Hawai`i was its own nation once.  Another reason for this history to be ignored is the distance that Hawai`i is from the mainland and many people still want to believe  that "there  is no trouble in paradise."


Work Cited:
" International Longshore and Warehouse Union" Wikipedia. 2011.  7 October 2011 .


Salomon, R. Roots of Justice. Berkely: Chardon Press, 1998

"The 1946 Sugar Strike." ILWU 146 Hawaii International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union 7 October 2011 .

1946: The Great Hawaiian Sugar Strike. Dir. Joy Chong-Stannard. Baseline Studio System, 1997

.
Other Resources:

Center for Labor Education and Research
http://clear.uhwo.hawaii.edu/1946.html

Rise and Roses -Videos on different events in Hawaii also the documentary on The 1946 Sugar Strike.
http://clear.uhwo.hawaii.edu/riceroses.html