N8793476+T+Golden+Abbey's+Tute



The cultural artefact chosen, is an artwork produced by a graffiti artist known as Banksy. In the foreground of the artwork is a sign which states ‘Keep your coins, I want change’. This statement challenges the viewer’s perception of the man holding the sign, as he looks to be homeless and society generally associates the homeless with begging for money. However the man depicted in this artwork is begging for a different form of change; lifestyle change. The public health issue at hand is sweatshops and their contribution to the ill health and exploitation of many developing countries. Many of the workers in sweatshops are overworked, malnourished, underpaid, abused and not provided with adequate facilities to complete their work safely. This in turn causes an assortment of negative health side effects, both physically and mentally. However corporations disregard the health of their workers as they are focused on maintaining optimum profit.

-Literature review-

Development in technologies and transportation has changed the way in which the fashion industry operates, which has resulted in higher demand for garments at minimal manufacturing cost. The development of transportation meant that the production of garments could be outsourced to developing countries and shipped for a more competitive price than producing a product ethically or locally. In many cases the workers’ health in these developing countries is jeopardized by the harsh working conditions, minimal pay, extensive work hours and the lack of attention given to safety by the employers(WHO, 2013; Oxfam, 2013[III]).

In a study of factory workers in Sri Lanka Oxfam found that workers were being paid as little as $0.32 USD per day, and in some cases workers were paid in piece work which in turn reduces the pay rate of the workers and makes them work harder. Not only are workers under paid, factory managers are allowing, and in some cases forcing, workers to work anywhere from twelve to eighteen hours per day in order to keep their jobs (Oxfam, 2013 [I]).

However sweatshops such as these are not only limited to clothing production. In 2013 it was found that Apple workers in China were being paid as little as £1.12 ($1.82 USD) per hour(Cooper, 2013). In both cases these workers are earning minimal wages and as a result live in poverty. As a consequence of living in poverty, factory sweatshop workers typically also suffer from poor nutrition, lack of education, substandard housing, early or childhood marriage or trafficking and have increased chance of being abused from either domestic or public violence (Oxfam, 2013 [II]). In 2013 over 200 children in Bangladesh were reportedly abused both physically and psychologically while working in a factory which produces clothing items for both Puma and Walmart. Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. The International Labour Organization  found that sweatshop workers more often than not, dismiss actions of abuse and neglect, as employment is sparse and workers fear that they may lose their job or be abused further for standing up for themselves (International Labour Organization, 2013).

Although the Government in many of these countries have stringent laws and regulations to protect factory workers, these laws are often disregarded by many of the corporations funding sweatshop activity. In many cases the Government and Government officials who regulate and prosecute offenders are corrupt and receive payment and or benefits from the management of the offending corporations or factory management. Furthermore, to  avoid prosecution many factories have hidden areas for under aged or child workers. Alas factories also contract outworkers to lower the cost to the factories and to illegally employ children. They do this as it is harder for the government to track and connect outworkers with one particular factory thus allowing factories to bypass prosecution. The majority of these outworkers are girls aged eleven to sixteen or, in some cases, entire families (Lormand, n.d.).

The People’s Republic of China proclaims that it protects the children by prohibiting the maltreatment and prevention of prematurely entering the workplace under the PRC Law on the Protection of Minors first past in 1991 and later revised in 2006 as the Minors Protection Law. This reviewed law outlined the responsibilities of families, schools and governments and also put an emphasis on judicial protection for all children (Library of Congress, 2013). However in 2013 a sweatshop in The People’s Republic of China which supplies clothing to various companies was found to be violating these laws by employing children and not providing adequate work conditions (International Labour Organization, 2013).

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">While it is evident that factory workers will remain part of a globalised economy the conditions in which these workers are forced to work to maintain their job needs to change. While governments in the countries where these factories exist have laws which prohibit the maltreatment of factory workers these laws are not often enforced. Conversely countries that purchase products produced in sweatshops have no laws preventing the importation of unethically produced products. This means that companies who exploit workers can import unethically produced products for resale into countries that are unaware of the effects of sweatshops and as a result the origin of the product is unquestioned. Ignorance of this issue encourages the cycle of unethically produced products to exist, as consumers continually support those brands who exploit workers, based on the cost to the consumer, aesthetics and or social status gained from owning a product. Additionally suppliers who do not endorse the use of ethically sourced products should, by law have to advertise that their products are not ethically made; similar to the laws the Australian Labour party endeavored to pass in regards to the advertisement of products which tested on animals in 2012 (Thomson, 2012). By passing laws such as these, consumers would be more aware of the way in which products have been manufactured and whether or not the product has been produced ethically.


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">-Cultural and social analysis- **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Whilst western hegemony and capitalism remain causing mass economic inequality, there is no just explanation for denying humans rights to all. Capitalism is described as an isolated group of individuals who own businesses which compromise of great wealth and from this control the economy. Karl Marx, who was a German theorist, believed capitalism corrupted human nature and closely studied the corruption of people through the material conditions of production (the circumstances under which labour is organized and things are produced). Marx suggested that in a capitalist system the bourgeoisie or members of the capitalist class own most of the wealth because they control the business. This means that the first goal of capitalisation is to increase profitability, thus begins the human exploitation process. Efficiency (streamlining process, delivering the in the cheapest way), Predictability (emphasis on uniformity) and Calculability (quantification and performance over quality), once accomplished owners pay workers minimal wages while reaping millions if not billions of dollars in profit. Capitalism and globalization has encouraged the use of outsourcing work to third world or developing countries and as a result higher economic capital is achieved (Baker et al., 2013).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">While many social groups, companies and occasionally the media campaign for the rights for workers and ethically sourced goods most people in western cultures remain unaware of the working conditions that workers in sweatshops face. Much of this is due to censorship from both the culprit companies as well as the governments of the countries that produce these products. For example in 2012 Kmart issued a statement following a report given by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) about the poor standards and minimal pay that they provide their workers. The statement read that the conditions at which the workers work currently meet the international safety and fair trading requirements and that the workers who work for said companies pay would be raised to $38 per month. Kmart justified the use of sweatshops, not just to cut cost but to provide revenue for these poorer countries (Knight, 2012). This in turn gave the impression to the general public that this maltreatment was acceptable as they were meeting the standards required of them to operate ‘ethically’.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">While this issue was made apparent to the general public for a brief period of time, their response to the issue was minimal as Kmart’s sales did not decrease as a result of the article being published. This reflects on Marx’s theory that businesses as well as society capitalise in order to obtain their optimum. Society optimises by acquiring social status through material possession and in many cases this means purchasing goods which are unethically sourced (Baker et al., 2013).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">From an economic perspective sweatshops are highly affordable and provide strong economic capital for businesses, however from a public health perspective sweatshops are a burden to health. Workers in sweatshops are overworked, malnourished, underpaid, more often than not, abused and not provided with adequate facilities to complete their work safely. This in turn causes an assortment of deleterious health side effects, both physically and mentally. However the campaigns of organisations such as Oxfam are slowly making a difference in the fair trade industry, as in recent years there has been increased public awareness of this issue and slow changes have been made (Oxfam, 2012 [I]).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Improving the conditions for sweatshop workers is more than just about money, it is about changing the way in which businesses operate and to maintain a workplace whereby the workers are not accustom to ill treatment. The artwork composed by social commentary graffiti artist Banksy, strongly depicts this message in his artwork. In this artwork Banksy foregrounded homeless man holding a sign that reads ‘keep your coins I want change’. This corresponds with the changes needed in the sweatshop industry as it is more than just money needed to fix the multitude of issues within the sweatshop industry. Nevertheless the underlying issue between both Banksys artwork and sweatshops is money. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> It has been proven that fair trade is possible and also a viable option for businesses, however businesses need motive and reason to change. Many organizations such as Oxfam are making an effort to enlighten consumers as to the conditions that these workers face and the harm that comes to these workers as a result of consumerism and capitalism. However it is not until society invokes change in their consumerism that companies will change to manufacture goods in an ethical way.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Analysis of Artefact and Reflection – **

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cooper, R. (2013, January 1). <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Inside Apple's Chinese 'sweatshop' factory where workers are paid just £1.12 per hour to produce iPhones and iPads for the West. //The UK Daily.// Retrieved from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] =====

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Baker, S., Carl, J., Hillman, W., Lawrence, G., Robards, B., Scott, J. (2012). //Think Sociology//. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia. =====

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">International Labour Organization. (2013). International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC). Retrieved September 24, from [] =====

=
Knight, M. (2013, June 24).Australian retailers Rivers, Coles, Target, Kmart linked to Bangladesh factory worker abuse. //ABC News.// Retreived from [] =====

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Library of Congress. (2013). Children’s Rights: China. Retrieved September 29, from [] =====

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lormand, E. (n.d.) Facts and FAQ’s about Nikes Labour Abuse. Retrieved October 7, 2013, from: [] =====

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">International Labour Organization. (2013). International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC). Retrieved September 24, from __[]__ =====

=
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Oxfam. (2013). Tell us where our clothes are made. Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> 2013/07/tell-us-where-our-clothes-are-made/ (I) =====

=
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Oxfam. (2013).Are your clothes made in sweatshops?. Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (III) =====

=
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Oxfam (2013). What’s wrong with world trade? Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> explore/trade/make-trade-fair/whats-wrong-with-world-trade/ (II) =====

=
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thomson, R. (2012, August 29). Crack down on animal testing. //The Sydney Morning Herald.// Retreved from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] =====

=
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">WHO, (2013). Social determinants of health: Stories of positive action from around the world. Retrieved from: <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> case_studies/en/index2.html =====