Description The book “The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, by Pietra Rivoli tries to uncover the challenges faced by the global market in the cotton industry. The author found out that although the U.S dominates the cotton industry globally, all the credit behind her T-shirt went to a Chinese factory, which tagged it “Made in China” (Rivoli 6). In her book, Pietra tries to inform the public that politics play a huge role in ensuring that the cotton industry in the U.S remains relevant and steady in the global market. The author is of the opinion that poor politics and imbalances in power may lead to damages in the future economy (Rivoli 5). Rivoli observed that while the demand for buying new clothes by rich people has increased …show more content…
The book gives a clear process of how the T-shirt was created, where it ended ultimately and who the beneficiaries were. The tone and style used to write this book is not persuasive enough to the people (government) involved in making decisions concerning the ways of improving the global markets. The author does not also give her opinion on how to strengthen the global market instead, she only dwells on how her T-shirt was created, and how far it has reached (Rivoli …show more content…
Through her book, Rivoli enlightens the readers on how the global market works. For instance, how the cotton industry of one country to another, works to get to the finished product. The book also brings to focus how people have earned a living through the journey of the T-shirt. This book is written in a way one cannot understand its intended audience, whether the public or the government. Instead, it mainly focuses on the people involved in the process and the market where the product ends up ultimately and does not point out institutions or people who are supposed to take the responsibility for ensuring the smooth running of the global cotton market. Rivoli’s conclusion is also weak in the sense that it clearly depicts uncertainty in her work in that the story of her T-shirt neither discredits nor confirms other theories (Rivoli
In China, Kelsey Timmerman spent time with a couple who worked at the Teva factory, traveled to the countryside to meet the couple’s son, insert name, who hasn’t seen his parents in three years due to his parents working long hours and it being expensive to take a train ride. In the US, the author visited one of a few clothing factories in the US to talk to the workers about his shorts, and the decrease of American garment factories. Timmerman wants the consumer to be more engaged and more thoughtful when mindlessly buying clothes. By researching how well the brands you want to buy from monitor their factories and what their code of ethics details, you can make a sound decision on if this is where you would want to buy your clothes. The author writes about brands that improve employers lives like SoleRebels, a shoe company who employs workers and gives them health insurance, school funds for their children, and six months of maternity leave. Brands like soleRebels that give workers benefits most factory workers have never even heard of help improve the lives of garment workers and future generations. From reading this book, Timmerman wants us to be more educated about the lives of garment workers, bridge the gap between consumers and manufacturers, and be a more engaged and mindful consumer when purchasing our
When America's cotton is sent to China, it is made into T-shirts in the sweatshops of China by laborers working 12-hour days and being paid subsistence wages. When the finished T-shirts re-enter the U.S., they are protected by the government through subsidies, tariffs, taxes, and protectionist policies that ensure that these foreign products will not provide too much competition to American-made shirts. Government regulations control how many T-shirt can be imported from various countrie...
...rs were buying the African image. These two authors proved in different ways that there are flaws in consumerism. While Stoller didn’t attack the market as Klein did, he shed light on an underground society that people did not know too much about, even though we see them every day. That idea is eerily similar to multi-national brands that we see every day, doing things that we as consumers unfortunately, do not know too much about. This grand scheme of giving up ethics for an increased profit is not only inconveniencing us consumers on the streets of Manhattan with fake cloth, thanks to Klein, we can see that it is literally destroying the world.
Jane Collins is currently a professor of rural sociology and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin. She also has published a number of books and articles related to the apparel industry. Collins brought a great deal of knowledge to the writing of this book through her childhood experiences growing up in Virginia and her more then thirty years of research experience in Latin America. However, it could be said that having such extensive experience and narrowed knowledge of the industry may have affected the direction and perspectives found in this book.
Linda Lim, a professor at the University of Michigan Business School, visited Vietnam and Indonesia in the summer of 2000 to obtain first-hand research on the impact of foreign-owned export factories (sweatshops) on the local economies. Lim found that in general, sweatshops pay above-average wages and conditions are no worse than the general alternatives: subsistence farming, domestic services, casual manual labor, prostitution, or unemployment. In the case of Vietnam in 1999, the minimum annual salary was 134 U.S. dollars while Nike workers in that country earned 670 U.S. dollars, the case is also the similar in Indonesia. Many times people in these countries are very surprised when they hear that American's boycott buying clothes that they make in the sweatshops. The simplest way to help many of these poor people that have to work in the sweatshops to support themselves and their families, would be to buy more products produced in the very sweatshops they detest.
Naomi Klein’s No Logo states that corporations have been championing globalization using the reasons that globalization allows U.S. consumers to benefit from cheaper products produced abroad, while developing nations benefit from the economic growth stimulated by foreign investments. The generally accepted belief is that governmental policies should be established in favor of the corporations to facilitate the trickling down of corporate profits to the end consumers and workers abroad. Klein, however, contends that globalization rarely benefit the workers in the developing countries.
Indeed, while there is conspicuous economic gain in the U.S., grassroots boycott can affect the approach of multinational corporations by eschewing products that are made by exploited workers and avail reduce self-eradication of the overall global imperil. These acts John Perkins presented, which include: cutting back on shopping and oil consumption,seek truth in every government related topic, and the awareness of products that weren’t made here in the U.S. Through the purchases you make everyday, a consumer creates an economy where child labor and sweatshops cease to exist, also having the power to influence and control great companies. After all: why not join the movement in creating a better system?
Economics becomes a large factor in the American imperialism; but more specifically that expansion in foreign markets is a vital part in the growth of America. As historian Charles Beard puts it, “[it] is indispensable to the prosperity of American business. Modern diplomacy is commercial. Its chief concern is with the promotion of economic interests abroad” (Kinzer 81). Williams provides that the people of United States wanted this change to culminate in the business. “A great many farm businessmen were in trouble, and if they voted together they could control national policy. There was, in truth, a crisis before the Cri...
In this book, globalization is defined as “an internationalization of contractual hiring, exploiting even cheaper migrant labor” (page 231). Globalization is a cultural phenomenon process in which a business or an organization begins to operate their production on an international scale. In his book, we see how globalization affected corn farmers in Mexico. Globalization open the door to the system a free market trade. In Illegal People, U.S corn farmers sold their corn to Mexico, causing Mexican corn farmers to severely lose profit since American farmers were selling their corn way cheaper. An example of how globalization is seen on Sleep Dealer is how an American company privatized water in Memo’s rancho. By privatizing the water, the company sold quantities of water at unreasonable prices, leading Memo’s dad to struggle to maintain his corm field. The American company who privatized the water could this through the usage of technology. Technology is one of the factors that led to the rise of
The involvement of immense corporations and how they make and distribute their products will also be explored. Certain companies will be discussed as to whether they are reliable and dependable sources of products or if they cut corners by getting their materials internationally. One will be able to grasp how a nation’s financial standing impacts other aspects of that country’s well-being. Child labor in America will be another subject matter touched on and if the degree that it occurs at in a more developed nation is much different from other undeveloped nations.
While the price of cotton textiles decreased by 90%, the output had grown to cover the demand at affordable prices. Now, cotton will be gotten from Brazil, Egypt, southern United Sates and all this meant a...
As we continue to pour money into the massive corporations, that mass produce the materials we use on a daily basis, outsource their manufacturing plants to foreign countries with the intention of utilizing the cheap labor available. While providing foreign countries, such as China, Bangladesh, India, etc., with numerous jobs, large corporations have given these countries the opportunity to be included in, and expand, the global economy. However with activists such as Ed Finn, who passionately encourage that Americans pay attention to what they buy and conduct meaningless boycotts, will force these large corporations to follow a society-wide consensus that tells companies how they should operate their developing-country factories. Blind to the fact that their insufficient boycotts are in support of crushing opportunities for others, activists don’t seem to realize
... at which they can grow as a society. Also, in all instances, the consumers (western consumers) have turned their heads and allowed this type of activity and exploitation to continue. From 1600 – 1860, the consumer’s could have rejected slavery as a source of labor. During the next era, we could have chosen to receive our natural resources from non-colonized areas, or even pay a premium for such products to support the native workers. And in today’s society, as Awon as stated in class, we as consumer’s vote with our dollars. It is up to us to choose which multinational corporations to support with our dollars. If consumers choose to not support coffee shops until they offer fair trade coffee beans, then they will listen or else they will go out of business. It is up to scholars like us who are aware of this blatant exploitation to make a difference in our society.
The act of consumption has been the primary means through which individuals in society participate and transform culture. Culture is not something already made which we consume; culture is what society creates through practices of everyday life and consumption involves the making of culture. When attempting to understand certain acts of consumption it is necessary to observe the relations involved in production and consumption. Through technological innovation, the fashion industry has been expanded to play a prominent role in consumers’ purchasing decisions and styles are becoming less difficult to obtain. With the expansion of department stores and shopping being viewed as a leisurely activity, this has continued to transform the act of fashion consumerism. The functional interests feature a rational attachment to clothing items. Symbolic benefits involve status and prestige to fulfill the achievement for positive self-esteem. Further benefits include a provided experience for the individual consumer and the created use of imagery and desire used to enrich one’s life.
The book, The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman draws attention to some very good points concerning globalization and the world economy today. Friedman emphasizes the status of America today in relation to the other countries of the world. As I looked at the things in which he warned about or highlighted, I realized the importance of this issue. He talks about a few aspects in which need to be kept competitive in order for America to retain their current standing in the world market.