How to paraphrase these two meanings?
Subject: A term, used in philosophy and psychoanalytic and cultural theory, that refers to the available ways of being for humans in a given time period or context. Historicallym the subkect is a concept that has shifted away from the notion of the unitary, automous self of liberal philosophy and the thinking, rational self that sits at the center of Cartesian philosophy. Rather, today we understand the subjects to be more fragmented, less self-knowing, and understand the constituted through process of splitting. To speack of individuals as subjects is to indicate that they are split between the conscious and unconscious, that they are produced as subjects not by being born alone and independent but through the structures of language and society, and that they are both active forces (subjects of history) but also dependent on others and acted on by (subjected to) all the social forces of their moment in time.
Commodity fetishism: The process through which commonities are emptied of the meaning of their production (the labor that produced them and the context in which they were produced) and filled instead with abstract meaning (usually through advertising). In Marxism, commodity fetishism is the process of mystification that exists in capitalism between what things are and how they appear. Commodity fetishism also describes the process by which special life powers are attributed to commodities rather than to other elements in social life. For example, to suppose that a brand of car confers self-worth is to engage in commodity fetishism. In commodity fetishism, exchange value has so superseded use value that things are valued not for what they do but for what they cost, how they look,and what connotations can be attched to them. For instance, a commodity (such as bottled purified water) is emptied of the meaning of its production (where it was bottle, who worked to bottle it, how it was shipped)and filled with new meaning (mountain springs,purity) through advertising campaigns.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/
Scroll down to the section called 6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing. Once you've written up your paraphrases, you can re-post if you'd like someone here to check them for you.
Paraphrasing the meanings:
1. Subject refers to the various ways in which humans exist in a specific time period or situation, as seen in philosophy, psychoanalytic theory, and cultural theory. Previously, the concept of subject revolved around the idea of a unified, independent self and a rational mindset. However, nowadays we understand subjects as fragmented, lacking self-awareness, and formed through a process of division. Referring to individuals as subjects implies that they are divided between their conscious and unconscious minds, shaped by language and society, and both active agents of history and influenced by social forces.
2. Commodity fetishism is the process of stripping commodities of their true meaning, such as the labor that went into producing them and the context in which they were made, and replacing it with abstract significance, often through advertising. In Marxism, commodity fetishism is the way capitalism obscures the true nature of things and how they are perceived. It also involves attributing extraordinary qualities to commodities instead of other aspects of social life. For instance, believing that a particular car brand determines one's self-worth exemplifies commodity fetishism. In this phenomenon, the value of a commodity solely lies in its cost, appearance, and associated connotations, overshadowing its practical use. Advertising campaigns play a role in stripping commodities of their production meaning and filling them with new meanings, such as presenting bottled purified water as derived from mountain springs and representing purity.