Sweatshop Debate Essay
Globalization: Homework 5
November 20, 2015
Sydnee Lyman
Sweatshop Debate
Sweatshops are a very controversial discussion everywhere around the world. Whether the sweatshop is domestic or international, it is a major issue as to if it is an ethical way for production or not. By definition, the word sweatshop means, “a shop employing workers at low wages, for long hours, and under poor conditions” (Dictionary). The definition is portraying the term sweatshop as bad and inhumane. Some believe sweatshops are what provide better job opportunities in third world countries and improve lives. Also believing that sweatshops improve the standard of living and provide better pay than any other job provided by their country. While others believe that …show more content…
sweatshops are an inhumane way of employment for citizens in developing countries.
From the perspective of businesses, “sweatshops are overwhelmingly lucrative since they capitalize on low-wage labor in developing countries and significantly reduce production costs” (Debate).
If controversy and debate comes up about these issues, large businesses may argue that they do not force employment in sweatshops. Employment is voluntary for all employees. These companies do not own the sweatshops although they are being provided the source of production. They do not technically “own” them so there is no blame that can be forced upon them. Another significant topic is the fact that they are being provided with jobs. People living in these developing countries don’t necessarily have a choice because they would rather get paid to work in a sweatshop than starve and not be able to provide for their families. Many also argue that sweatshops contribute vastly towards the development of developing economies. Although employees are not paid much, the economy benefits from low-wage …show more content…
jobs.
Sweatshops have a very easy way of taking advantage of citizens living in developing countries. Working in these sweatshops people are very underpaid. Taking into consideration the working conditions they are under for a lengthy amount of time, it is not fair nor ethical. Large businesses know how to take advantage of these workers. Once employees come to the realization and ask for higher wages and better working conditions, large businesses move to another country and take advantage of them. This is taking advantage of the people living in third world countries. Developing countries do not have the power and have not yet put in place laws regarding fair pay and greater working conditions for its citizens. Many economists explain that, “Without independent activists the world would know much less about working conditions in the developing world” (Economist). Sweatshop employees are not given their basic human rights.
There are very supporting points on both side of the sweatshop debate.
For every pro on sweatshops there is a con and vise versa. Like many other debates are the same way, these points on the pro and con side are very supporting of each other and are very controversial, which makes it hard for economists to decide whether or not sweatshops are a good thing. Although sweatshops have been proven to create economic prosperity in developing countries, there must be a better way to higher wages and create better working conditions for these employees. It is inhumane and unjust to have any citizen of any country working under these conditions. They receive very little benefit other than not going starving themselves. Large companies need to implement rules and regulations regarding the conditions the employees are working under and what a fair payment should be for the lengthy amount of time they work for. This fair payment should not be the countries minimum wage, that in itself is
unjust.
Works Cited
Dictionary.com. 2015 Dictionary.com, n.d. Web.
"Sweatshop Wars." Economist.com. The Economist Newspaper Limited 2015, 25 Feb. 1999.
Web. Nov. 2015.
Wong, Annabelle, and Benjamin Schorr. "Two Faces of Economic Development: The Ethical
Controversy Surrounding U.S.-Related Sweatshops in Developing Asian Countries."
Globalethicsnetwork.org. Global Ethics Network, 1 May 2013. Web.
November 20, 2015
Sydnee Lyman
Sweatshop Debate
Sweatshops are a very controversial discussion everywhere around the world. Whether the sweatshop is domestic or international, it is a major issue as to if it is an ethical way for production or not. By definition, the word sweatshop means, “a shop employing workers at low wages, for long hours, and under poor conditions” (Dictionary). The definition is portraying the term sweatshop as bad and inhumane. Some believe sweatshops are what provide better job opportunities in third world countries and improve lives. Also believing that sweatshops improve the standard of living and provide better pay than any other job provided by their country. While others believe that …show more content…
sweatshops are an inhumane way of employment for citizens in developing countries.
From the perspective of businesses, “sweatshops are overwhelmingly lucrative since they capitalize on low-wage labor in developing countries and significantly reduce production costs” (Debate).
If controversy and debate comes up about these issues, large businesses may argue that they do not force employment in sweatshops. Employment is voluntary for all employees. These companies do not own the sweatshops although they are being provided the source of production. They do not technically “own” them so there is no blame that can be forced upon them. Another significant topic is the fact that they are being provided with jobs. People living in these developing countries don’t necessarily have a choice because they would rather get paid to work in a sweatshop than starve and not be able to provide for their families. Many also argue that sweatshops contribute vastly towards the development of developing economies. Although employees are not paid much, the economy benefits from low-wage …show more content…
jobs.
Sweatshops have a very easy way of taking advantage of citizens living in developing countries. Working in these sweatshops people are very underpaid. Taking into consideration the working conditions they are under for a lengthy amount of time, it is not fair nor ethical. Large businesses know how to take advantage of these workers. Once employees come to the realization and ask for higher wages and better working conditions, large businesses move to another country and take advantage of them. This is taking advantage of the people living in third world countries. Developing countries do not have the power and have not yet put in place laws regarding fair pay and greater working conditions for its citizens. Many economists explain that, “Without independent activists the world would know much less about working conditions in the developing world” (Economist). Sweatshop employees are not given their basic human rights.
There are very supporting points on both side of the sweatshop debate.
For every pro on sweatshops there is a con and vise versa. Like many other debates are the same way, these points on the pro and con side are very supporting of each other and are very controversial, which makes it hard for economists to decide whether or not sweatshops are a good thing. Although sweatshops have been proven to create economic prosperity in developing countries, there must be a better way to higher wages and create better working conditions for these employees. It is inhumane and unjust to have any citizen of any country working under these conditions. They receive very little benefit other than not going starving themselves. Large companies need to implement rules and regulations regarding the conditions the employees are working under and what a fair payment should be for the lengthy amount of time they work for. This fair payment should not be the countries minimum wage, that in itself is
unjust.
Works Cited
Dictionary.com. 2015 Dictionary.com, n.d. Web.
"Sweatshop Wars." Economist.com. The Economist Newspaper Limited 2015, 25 Feb. 1999.
Web. Nov. 2015.
Wong, Annabelle, and Benjamin Schorr. "Two Faces of Economic Development: The Ethical
Controversy Surrounding U.S.-Related Sweatshops in Developing Asian Countries."
Globalethicsnetwork.org. Global Ethics Network, 1 May 2013. Web.