What+does+'It'+mean+anymore?

n8804001 Tutor: Abbey



The artefact is a cartoon sketch with a man standing over people. He holds a Nike symbol, which is thought to represent a bat “and rants the words” Just do it, Nike’s multi national slogan, which once upon a time represented the idea of freedom to do anything you want, should you want too. However this artefact is representing the corporation’s exploitative sweatshop conditions. Just do it, or be punished.
 * __Cultural Artifact:__**

A sweatshop is a factory or workshop, where manual workers are employed at very low wages for long hours and under poor conditions. These poor conditions in turn have drastic results on the workers mental and physical health along with a poor quality of life. Other huge inequalities sweatshops present include hazardous workspace, polluted air, no access to clean drinking water and sexual abuse. They are neglected of simple human rights, which result leads to a diminished quality of health, injuries and often fatalities.
 * __Public health issue:__**

A heavily westernised global economy has highlighted the continual rise in disparity between nations, particularly in third world countries. This disparity is evident now more than ever through the validation of resource and rights deprivation. Sweatshops are a large part of today’s global economy. The increasing power of large transnational corporations and international institutions to determine the labor policy agenda has led to a disempowerment of workers, unions, and those seeking work and a grow in health-damaging working arrangements and conditions (EMCONET, 2007).’ This in turn is the exact embodiment of the term globalisation.
 * __ Literature Review: __**


 * __i) Working Conditions, Workplace Health and Safety & Mistreatment:__**

The continual rise in inequality, and the life threatening working conditions of a sweatshop factory has been unwrapped for all to see over the past decade. These large corporations abuse and neglect many work, health and safety conducts, miss inform workers about their entitlements, with reports of Nike having gone to efforts to re- write parts so employees could not understand the material (Lormand, E. (n.d)). A study from the University of Michigan reported that workers had complained that many would faint during shift from exhaustion, heat, fumes and poor nutrition. Ernst and Young similarly found “in China that the plants have no safety goggles, fume hoods or gloves for workers handling dangerous chemicals”. Exposure rates were considered highly dangerous with rate more than 177 times that considered safety levels. Further reports in the same Chinese factory that almost 78% of workers had respiratory disease and despite these illnesses, nothing had been done to move them or decrease future illness (Lormand, E. (n.d)).

Another study conducted by Berik and van der Meulen Rodgers stated violations within the factory consisted of no fire safety equipment, toilet facilities or protective clothing, or regulation footwear present. Both Studies mentioned frequent cases of abuse. Many forms of abuse were reported including sexual harassment with ‘’Supervisors have been reported to frequently grab the women's breasts and buttocks’ (Lormand, E. (n.d)). Motion injuries, exposures to chemicals, air pollutants, noise pollution and muscular injuries from moving heavy machinery are just afew workplace hazards, which remain as serious problems (Arnold & Hartman). However a bigger problem is the lack of medical treatment these workers are provided with. It was documented that a there is little as one doctor and two nurses to service 10,000 workers for only a few hours each day (Lormand, E. (n.d)). Arnold and Hartman (2006) state that improvements such as exhaust systems for clean air, access to clean water, gloves, googles, and fume hoods when working with chemicals, and more health workers to attend to workers would improve many health and safety regulations within sweatshops.

From these studies it is evident that a large number of fatalities transpire within sweatshop factories due to poor working conditions. With the lack of safety equipment, toilet facilities, fire escapes and many other non-regulated safety practices it is inevitable that a poor living standards will be a result of such. Medical research has proven there is a link between poor quality of workplace and conditions with and increase in mental health issues almost as much as the loss of job or income would cause (WHO, 2008). Other negative metal states area caused by the sweatshop factories leadership supporting military dictatorships that crush labor unions and worker protest. With most workers being convinced they would be put to death, jailed, black listed or injured should they protest again dictatorship or form unions (Lormand, E. (n.d)).


 * __ii) Low Wages and Overtime Hours:__**

While large corporations are continuing to glamorize these exploitive and inhuman working conditions by claiming they are creating thousands of job opportunities for the people in these societies, some would say they are better off jobless (Jacintas references). Examples from above should already be enough to make you agree however the insane low wages and long hours worked by these people is incredibly gut wrenching.

Large corporations make billions of dollars from these developing countries who are either paid off to allow such circumstances or don’t know better (Lormand, E. (n.d)). A company who falls under this category is Nike. The university of Michigan made a study around the Nike company and found they sell a pair of shoes for $180 each while it costs around $5- $8 in labor to make. We should be asking where does the rest of the $175 go? But the scariest moment is when you are told its more like the rest of the $179.00 go.

Those who are slaving to produce the $180 pair of shoes and other Nike apparel are mostly young women and children, age’s 10- 24. They earn as little as $1.00 a day and in some countries are forced to deposit one months salary, which they forfeit should they not work an entire year. In which 75% lose due to having been deceived about the conditions, violations of minimum wage, and overtime laws. According to Naomi Klein author of NO LOGO “many people who last long enough die of exhaustion in desperate attempts to feed their families”.

To make these end meet is harder than we would expect with the reported costs of 3 meals per day is $2.50. This is 60 cents higher than the average daily wage. On top of a lack of adequate nutrition it was said sweatshop workers work over 60 hours a week, with as little as 6-7 hours per night (Lormand, E. (n.d)). It is these conditions, which have led thousands of workers per year with startling health compromises and many living limitations, whilst in 2012 Nikes revenue was a huge 24.1 billion dollars. It needs to be dealt with but whose fault is it? Consumers or the workers or is it the corporations which are at fault? Maybe its an entanglement of all of the above.

//**Figure 1: Represents the percentage of people living on less than $1 a day**//



A heavily westernized global economy has highlighted the continual rise in disparity between nations. This disparity is evident now more than ever through the validation of resource and rights deprivation. Many often refer to this as a result of a concept titled capitalism. This term is described as an isolated group of individuals who own businesses, which encompass great wealth and thus control the economy with this prosperity.
 * __Cultural and Social analysis:__**

Karl Marx, a German theorist believed capitalism corrupted human nature. He closely studied how “the material conditions” of productions corrupt people and their living standards (Baker, S., Carl, J., Hillman, W., Lawrence, G., Robards, B. & Scott, J. 2012). In simpler terms this meant the circumstances, which labor is organized and products are produced. Marx suggested that in a capitalist system the bourgeoisie or members of the capitalist class, [|own most of the wealth purely because they control the way the way the material conditions are processed] (Baker, S et al. 2012). To this day Marx’s notion is seen as sweatshops workers are displayed no procedures of agency, rather they are only bound to the rules and regulations set by their factories. In these developing countries sweatshops have grown to be a part of their everyday lives and culture (Sweatshops, 2013).

We can also see Marx’s ideas where an earlier version of the modern concept Mcdonaldisation. Increasing profit is of the highest priority, followed by efficiency, delivering products in the quickest way, predictability, a huge emphasis on uniformity and calculability, quantity over quality (Lecture).

Another theorist Pierre Bourdieu added to this concept. He claims that the power of wealth was a current dominance in capitalism but it could not be reduced to just this, but one position within that society was also of importance (Baker, S et al. 2012). Here he introduced the concept of “field” as a way to explain this. It is a system of social position, structured within terms of power relations. He argued that an individual may hold more than an economic power but also a cultural power; what you know, and a social power: who you know (Baker, S et al. 2012). Field position is evident in today’s society particularly in developing countries- many of these peoples futures are pre- determined by their family’s cultural and social positions in their country.

Hence a globalization occurs because the process involving growing connectedness, assimilation and interdependence of people and resources around the world continues in a cycle (Baker, S et al. 2012). The workers need to work to survive, growing a dependence on this income; they do not know anyone of higher social position to offer more ethical work (Baker, S et al. 2012). Hence these workers have everything to lose should the protest against these corporations for better working conditions. There is no reason for this though, after numerous calculations is it thought that paying factory workers an average wage is minimal compared to the corporations yearly revenue. For example, if there is a factory in Indonesia, Vietnam and China with 8, 000 workers in each Nike would need to pay 24, 000 workers in total. Should these workers be treated ethically according to Australian Laws and worked a 5 day week of approximately 9- 10 hour days they would still make a whopping 22.5 billion dollars. Sweatshops will continue to be apart of our world until process such as the McDonaldisation processes are eliminated, until profit driven companies re-look at the effects of their greediness has on humans, until we look past the glamorization of supposed opportunities sweatshop create for people or until a ethical framework is put into place to abide by. There needs to be a huge global change. By no means will everyone always agree, and someone will always be negatively affected however it should not be human’s quality of life. Although it will always be a social debate to resolve the gap between social classes, its time for changes to happen to better the workers of sweatshops health, living arrangement, and simple necessities to live a health life (EMCONET, 2007).

The cultural artefact, whichhas been presented, is eye-opening picture of how contradictory the Nike Corporation is. Globally Nike is recognized for it’s slogan of “Just Do It” which embodies the meaning of freedom, encouraging people of all ages to go ahead and be free to achieve their dreams. However, to produce these products that symbolize this slogan, they strip thousands of people of their freedom to basic necessities, rights, and freedom. It is a harsh realization that globally we overlook how our clothes are made, and whether a trendy over priced shirt or pair of shoes is worth someone’s life.
 * __Analysis of the artefact and your own learning reflections:__**

Throughout this research I have learnt a great deal about the horrific conditions people endure to simply feed their families. Until now I have been naive to the fact that this actually happens, as I have always been blessed enough to live in Australia and sheltered from the heart aching stories. As sad as these real stories are when you hear them I don’t feel people know enough to stop purchasing these products. I know myself if I needed new runners in the near future I wouldn’t completely cut out purchasing the brand Nike. Why would I go past the brand which I know is comfortable, long wearing and durable? If Nike presented over and above all other brands then I simply couldn’t go past it. Muttering under your breath about how heartless I am? Well, how many of you out there can honestly say you would walk past your favorite brand on sale because you’ve recently found out they operate sweatshops? It is simply the way Western cultures have developed; if it isn’t under our nose or happening to us personally it doesn’t affect us. We can all sit here and say JUST DO IT- make a change but who is really going to make the biggest change? The people who started it, companies like Nike.

****__ References: __**** Arnold, D. G., & Hartman, L. P. (2006, August). Workers Rights and Low Wage Industrialisation: How to Avoid Sweatshops. Human Rights Quarterly, 28(3), 676-700,798-799. Retrieved from []

Baker, S., Carl, J., Hillman, W., Lawrence, G., Robards, B., Scott, J. (2012). //Think Sociology//. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Closing the Gap in a Generation. (2013). Retrieved from World Health Organisation: []

EMCONET. (2007). Employment conditions and health inequalities. Final report of the employment conditions knowledge network of the comission on social determinants of health. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

Lormand, E. (n.d.) Facts and FAQ’s about Nikes Labour Abuse. Retrieved October 7, 2013, from: []

Lormand, E. (n.d.) Nikes Track Record. Retrieved October, 3, 2013, from: []

Naím, M. (2009, April). Globalization. Foreign Policy(171), 28-30,32,34. Retrieved from []

Sweatshops. (2013, January 25). Retrieved from UIC Social Theory 385: []