Today’s modern society has rapidly advanced to create a wide network of relationships spanning across societies, political structures, and economies. Modern proliferation of the tenants of capitalism have created a worldwide division of labor where manufacturing is sourced to peripheral areas of economic activity in order to produce the cheapest end product in a competitive market. In recent decades, the rise of sweatshop labor in third world countries has led to increasing concern among economists and labor advocates alike, It is without a doubt that large corporations play a large role in the facilitation of sweatshop labor and that certain individuals have an obligation in order to counter the use of unethical labor practices in the goods that they purchase The state of today‘s free market has raised concern for many individuals, particularly those involved in studying the moral implications of such a society.
In her work From Guilt to Solidarity, former professor Iris Young discusses the formation of and her involvement with the antisweatshop movement, where students participated in strikes across college campuses nationwide in order to raise awareness to the plight of sweatshop workers producing collegiate branded products. She continues to state that global economic interdependencies imply political responsibilities that cross national borders Young explains, “The antisweatshop movement argues that all the persons and institutions who participate in the structural processes that produce this constraint should take responsibility for the condition of the workers. We are connected to them; we wear clothes they make; we sell them in our stores. Young‘s stance is clear, and she continues to state her position regarding this issue several times throughout her article by maintaining her assertion that persons who benefit from structural inequalities have a special moral responsibility to join in correcting them.
Young’s arguments not only discuss the actions some individuals are obligated to take in order to improve the conditions of factory workers worldwide, but they also raise many questions towards the practices of companies operating in the garment industry, Upon further inspection, it is clear that there are various ethical and political issues raised by current practices of corporations participating in this activity. Victoria’s Secret, a notable giant in the garment industry, has been found to be responsible for many incidents regarding sweatshop labor and the facilitation of poor working standards with no regard to the safety of the individuals performing labor or the buildings in which they work in, In 2007, the National Labor Committee detailed the results of their investigation of a contracted Victoria‘s Secret factory where workers work in factories for 14 to 15 hours per day and receive one day off every three to four months (Farid).
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The NLC also reported that conditions for these workers were also below standard, and that they only paid 75 cents per hour and are often shortchanged for up to $1848 a week. However, there are many companies that do not fail to take responsibility for the well»being of their workers Lululemon, another brand known for its women’s athletic wear, maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards forced and bonded labor. To ensure this, the company conducts announced, semi-announced, and unannounced audits in order to ensure compliance with its standards Lululemon also has a vendor code of ethics that applies to every partnership that it forms (Marati). It is clear that companies vary in their concern for their labor force, although a select few have acquired reputations for either treating their workers with dignity and respect or with little regard as to the status of their well-being.
Although Young‘s arguments may be interpreted to serve no clear purpose other than to assign individuals blame for their actions, it is clear that she provides a concrete model for her arguments to be interpreted into action. One effective method appears to be the simple acknowledgement and general knowledge of what sweatshop conditions entail and which companies implement sweatshop labor in order to produce their goods. With an informed consumer, factory owners would become pressured into keeping in line with the consumer’s wishes for a fairly paid workforce. Another would be the implementation of boycotts against companies that employ sweatshop-based labor. Although consumers may not share any social connection with the individuals who produce their goods overseas, there is a clear economic link between the two parties. With a clear economic message sent to the owners of these factories, consumers would be able to clearly state that they will not stand for any unethical methods of production employed at these factories.
Conversely, an ideal, informed consumer would also exclusively purchase from ethical institutions that maintain a zero-tolerance policy for sweatshop labor. As much as Young’s arguments are able to convince a wider audience at large, there are a skeptical few who doubt the effectiveness of her proposed actions Although a boycott of companies that employ sweatshop labor is admirable, it is clear that her arguments attempt to blame the free market for the state of sweatshop economics, where a rational consumer participating in a capitalist society will most likely purchase the cheapest product.
It is difficult to imagine a world where the consumer is not actively seeking the best bargain and will actively consider the plight of others when considering which products to purchase. Young appears to give the impression of an idealist, simply wishing for the best outcome without any regards to the implementation of her ideas It is without a doubt certain individuals have an obligation in order to counter the use of sweatshop practices and that corporations play a disproportionate role in the facilitation of such labor. It is now in the hands of the consumer to dictate which direction the free market will pan to, and whether certain individuals in third world countries will be able to have their working conditions improved for the better.
