I am posting this early this week. Your first response is due by Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 9:25 am.
At the end of class yesterday, I finished with a few questions that we didn't really have the time to discuss, so let's do it here.
When you buy any product, how concerned are you about the origin and production of that product? If some of the values of the Industrial Cultural Matrix are still values today (as you have noted) how much are we willing to accept in the name of progress and affordable goods?
What kind of ethical dilemmas might you be faced with when you consider boycotting certain products because of the use of child labor or other oppressive labor tactics? From what perspective do you make those judgments?
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I'm not going to lie and say I'm fully concerned about the origin and production of the products I buy, but that does not mean that I don't think about it. I mean there are times when I might look at the tag or label on a product to see where it was made and majority of the time its made outside of the U.S., which isn't a shock to me. There's times when I think the price I paid for some shoes is why more than what the person who made it was paid and that isn't a good feeling to have. I'm not completely willing to accept the values of progress when it comes to products. By boycotting certain products means that, that company would decline in sales which would put the company out of business, which means those who are employed there will be out of work and without money they cannot provide for their families. So there has to be another way for child laborers to break free from that and go to school and be children. The perspective I try to view this situation is by looking from the outside in as well as placing myself in the shoes of those child laborers.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I purchase something, such as clothing, I sometimes pay attention to where it was made. When I check the tag I am not surprised to see that the clothes were made in foreign countries, such as China or Vietnam. I then begin to wonder whether young children are working long hours for low wages in poor conditions in a factory. I feel sad for a moment, but then feel like there is nothing I can do about the injustice of child labor. However, my view of child labor comes from a tolerant perspective. Since child labor is not allowed in the United States, I believe that children everywhere should be able to enjoy their youthful years by playing with friends and going to school. But, then I realize that in some situations child labor may be necessary. Perhaps the children are working to help maintain their family in order to survive. If we were to boycott products because of the use of child labor we would put companies out of business and would force those companies to lower their wages even more. Therefore, instead of making the situation better, we would be making it worse. I believe that we are willing to tolerate many things for the sake of affordable goods. It all goes along with the value of special interest from the Progressive era. We are willing to accept child labor because it will be cheaper for our companies; even though we think child labor is cruel we accept it.
ReplyDeleteWhen you buy any product, how concerned are you about the origin and production of that product?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I am not concerned at that very moment because I shop without thinking. I know what I want/need and I go out and get it. But that is not to say that I am not concerned to possibly know--and if I did know--and I found out that my product was made by means I do not agree with and are morally wrong to me--then I would return it/throw it out and 100% discontinue to use the product or shop at that certain store (whichever the case would be).
If some of the values of the Industrial Cultural Matrix are still values today (as you have noted) how much are we willing to accept in the name of progress and affordable goods?
And as far as how much I am willing to accept in the name of progress and affordable goods is questionable. Those are values which I myself feel unbalanced about because I don't want to be close-minded, but I also don't want to support something that I totally envision as wrong and find an excuse for why it should be right anywhere in the world. I just disagree with child labor! I believe that children should be just that--children... the life of a human has different stages, and in my opinion childhood should be filled with child experiences such as playing, running, laughing, learning--not with working!
What kind of ethical dilemmas might you be faced with when you consider boycotting certain products because of the use of child labor or other oppressive labor tactics?
I think the most noticible one is that; by boycotting I am reducing the income of the children who are trying to earn money to survive. But, IN MY OPINION, the best solution if for people to just not have kids!!(unless they can fully support them)!
From what perspective do you make those judgments?
I make these judgements from an American point of view...I believe in our culture; I believe in protecting children and using birth control and I dislike 100% the thought of children having to work...it just breaks my heart...I feel a knot in my throat...I mean I remember my childhood as playing with barbies and never even knew that problems existed in the world until I was at that stage--and some might call this too sheltered but I call this being a child.
-Responsibilities are for parents not for children.
I am more likely to avoid consuming products that negatively affect animals than I am to avoid items made by child/low cost labor. I do not use leather, I do not wear fur and I refuse to eat veal but I will buy Nike everyday and twice on Sunday. I know the allegations and complaints levied against the company but my wants, needs and budget dictate my actions.
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the middle middle-class, I do not have the financial wiggle room to just buy American or avoid products because they are made in Korea. Sure there are products that are made by socially conscious companies. These products do not harm animals, children and the environment but the producers of such products capitalize on guilt. Consumers pay a real premium for guilt-free products and that is money that most people could spend on more pressing matters. I find it interesting that people with more disposable funds are no more likely to purchase guilt-free products than I am. Last time I checked, it is rich people who are more likely to wear mink, lambs leather, carry blood diamond encrusted cell phones, buy handmade wallets conditioned in whale oil and eat fois gras from tortured birds.
So yes, I wear gym apparel made for five cents in Malaysia but I have virtually no choice. This is a characteristic of a post-industrial society where businesses must compete to produce their product at low cost or they die. Imagine you are the CEO of Nike and your target market demands quality apparel at reasonable prices. If you set up shop in the states, the very people you are targeting will demand nearly $30 an hour to produce your product. Sound like a problem to me. This is why Nike’s first plant ever is in Asia.
What about the child/low cost laborers? What type of opportunities would they have without the big business that seeks them out? These business have an ethical responsibility to provide reasonable work conditions but both parties, the worker and the employee, are getting something out of the system. Such a system creates a process where my support of Nike is food on the table in South Asia. It may be five cents a day for them but that is equivalent to $100 a day in America.
For better or worse, America is a post-industrial nation. We do not make many of our products and as Marx points out, those who do not won the means of production do not have much influence. I buy what I like and can afford. Period.
Honestly, when I go to the store and buy something I never look to see where it is made. If it is a piece of clothing and I really like it I only read the tag to read the size and how to wash it, but I never look at where it is made. If I like it I buy it. One of the values of the cultural Matrix that I can relate to this is materialism. The way I really don’t look into where it is made as long as I like it; I know there are a lot of people out there just like me. How much am I willing to accept? Well, I think that if I was more aware of the situation in each manufacturing company then I would boycott certain things. However, since I am unaware of the situations I really don’t know how much I am willing to accept. If I was to boycott any of the items I would be hurting the company, and by hurting the company I will be hurting the workers. I know they may not get paid much but I think my purchase would make a difference in their situation.
ReplyDeleteI think I speak on the behalf of many in the US when I say that the origin and production of an item I'm willing to purchase are ranked among the last things on my mind. All I'm concerned about is how much the item costs, how good of a deal I'm actually getting, and how long the item will last. When asked how much I am willing to accept in the name of progress, I would usually claim "not much" if I knew we were talking about child labor, but it seems I fall into the trap like many others, just trying to get a bargain on the market with no knowledge of who may have made it and what conditions they might be working in.
ReplyDeleteBoycotting a product will definitely catch the attention of the manufacturer and it might make them reconsider using children or sweatshops to make their wares. However, it might also put desperate workers out of a job, and I say desperate workers because they obviously took the jobs in sweatshops and things like that as a means of sustenance.
When I buy something from the store I really don’t think about who made it. I do look to see where it is from, but it never crosses my mind that children probable made it. So I guess I am not very concerned about the origin of my product. I know child labor exist in another countries and I agree that it is wrong. I guess I am just that type of person that doesn’t like to image or think of such awful things. We are welling to accept a lot in the name of progress and affordable goods because no one has put a stop to child labor and we have not stopped importing or buying goods from countries that have and encourage child labor. If we boycott products because of the use child labor we would cause business to lower their prices or force them to close. Which would affect the supply and demand of that company, and it would make matters worse.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could say that I was more concerned with where my product are made and the means which they are made by but I’m really not. Sometimes the label catches my eye and I see which foreign country the product I am buying is from but mainly I do not. I think it is easier for people to protest things that directly affect their lives. People in our society might be vaguely aware that the goods they are buying are produced by unethical child labor. Even if the majority of the people in our society are aware they are not faced with the images of child sewing their tennis shoes every day or even once a month. These images are brought to our attention usually once to a few times a year over certain brand or company. That company or brand usually changes the production of their goods by child labor because they are afraid of public scorn.
ReplyDeleteThe ethical decision that I face when confronting child labor, is the fact that this might be the only way that the child and their family can survive. I would truly rather see any child in school rather than working all day in unsafe conditions. These other society will only be to advance through education and this cannot happen if all of the children are in factories producing cheap goods for other countries. I try and look at the world with a tolerant perspective but I think my perspective changes especially when it comes to certain issues.
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ReplyDeleteFGGonzalez said,
ReplyDeleteI am very concern about where the products that I buy come from. The first thing I do is look at the label to see where the product came from. I always try to buy American made items. We have too many U.S. citizens out of jobs. President Obama, I hope and pray, will creates jobs for the millions of unemployed citizens we have in the U.S. The only way we are going to get out of the depression we are in is by getting people jobs so they can earn money to buy products to get our economy moving and out of the depression were in.
Our Philosophy should be what President Obama is trying to teach. We need to wrok together and get back to the good old days of moral values and accountability. The values of the Industrial Culture Matrix were progress, size, power, materialism, wealth, naturalism, influence and change. We still have all of those values today and look where they have gotten us. They have got the U.S. in a pretty big whole and it's going to take a long time for us to get ouselves out of it. The key point is, we have the knowledge to change our value system. We will have to change our way of thinking and stop doing things "in the name of progress" and come to a middle ground about afordanable goods. Yes, we can all save money by buying some items that are manufacurted over seas but, we have to put and embrago on the limit of items we can import from other countries. We should all buy American made items wehen we can. This should be our slogan.
I've always been against using children to manufacture goods. It's against the law and a moral sin. I've seen the results of using children to manufacture goods and too much damage is done to those children. Psychologically, physicaly, emotionally and spiritually you will destroy a child under those circumstances. I make my perspective from a common sense and a moral value judgment.
Adios,
Francisco
I agree with Karla D. in the fact that at the moment we aren't concerned with the production and origin of the products we buy, that doesn't mean we don't consider the idea. I agree when she said that she would discontinue the purchasing of a certain product that exploit child laborers. Children should be children and not working 60 plus hours a week getting paid less to nothing. I was surprised when Karla stated that people should consider whether they can afford having a child without running the risk of putting that child to work to provide for their struggling families. I never looked at that from that perspective that Karla viewed and stated. Her perspective to birth control provided some insight to the solution of stopping child labor.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bianca Wright’s assertion that we are more likely to avoid products that are tested on or harm animals rather than avoid products that are produced by child labor. I believe that we, as a society, are willing to accept child labor because it is cheap. Once we discover that our clothes is being made by young children for low wages in foreign countries we realize that it is an ethical problem and we may begin to feel sorry for their conditions, but in the end our wants and needs, as consumers, determine our purchasing trends. We want affordable goods. This action is understandable because our companies look for the places where their products will be produced for less. If these same jobs were done in the United States employees would demand higher wages. Therefore, in an attempt to profit companies outsource.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amy that it is easier for people to protest things that directly affect their lives. I was happy to read in Amy’s blog that I was not the only one who does not think about where the product we are buying is from. I agree with her that we should be more concerned with where our products are made and how is making it. I also believe that many people are aware that the goods they are buying are produced by unethical child labor. Even if they are aware they are not faced with the images of child sewing their tennis shoes every day or even once a month. This is so true that the only time we know or are worried about child labor is when it is on the news when they mention brand or company, is when they changed the production of their goods by child labor because they are afraid of public scorn.
ReplyDeleteFrancisco said,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Karla Michelle, that we should either return or throw away the products that we buy if we find out that they were made by under age children.
Under age child labor has to stop. It's always done for porfit. (For the love of money)
I also agree with Karla Michelle that the values of the Industrial Cultural Matrix still are being used today. The more things change the more they stay the same. In my opinion, that why history keeps repeating itself.
I think the United States has to either put pressure on the foreign governments that uses underage children to manufacture goods or the U.S. has to stop importing their products.
adios,
Francisco
I agree with Kene, on the fact that many people in our society are just looking for the best bargain and not the origin of the items. Many people in our society are being affected by the downward economy and are just looking for the best way to save money. I also agree that the workers that take these positions in the sweat shops are desperate and need to work to survive. I believe though that the only way for these conditions to change for these people is if the consumers speak up against their conditions. The manufactures will be more willing to listen to the consumers who affect their profits then their workers who can easily be replaced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kimesha B when she says, "I'm not going to lie and say I'm fully concerned about the origin and production of the products I buy, but that does not mean that I don't think about it. I mean there are times when I might look at the tag or label on a product to see where it was made and majority of the time its made outside of the U.S., which isn't a shock to me," and I agree with all of this because-just as she says-because I don't often look at the tags of the clothing/products I buy doesn't mean I never think about it or that it never concerns me. And when I often look at the tags-almost always the product was made outside the U.S. and I buy the product; often because I don't want to think horrible things go on-with child labor anywhere in the world-although I often think of rumors I have heard about Nike making shoes in china/japan and paying their child workers only cents. A rumor I have come to question because I have had friends work at various shoe stores in which employees buy their shoes for under $10-15 dollars....shoes sold at $80-120 and above...and so, all that makes me wonder about how much the maker got paid and who they are? Most likely children-this is horrible to me. But again going back to Kimesha-here it is all about money and so it isn't a shock to me either that the corporations that monopolize themselves here in the United States would marginalize their profits by exploiting children in other countries and using the excuse of not being unethical to the beliefs of others... as means to increase their capital. How sad!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kene. I think that if we were really to look into our shopping habits; we all want the best deal we can get. We want the cheaper stuff, and if the item is good no matter were it is from or who made it we buy it. I also agree that we really don’t think about where things come from we just want the best bargain we can get. Indeed, I think that if we boycott some of the items eventually the manufacturer may come aware of the situation and stop employing young children. This mainly comes down to two choices. We can either not worry about where items are made, or we can actually boycott and risk people losing their only form of income.
ReplyDeleteI am very concerned when i buy products from different countries because i am not nor sure the conditions they were made under. We see all the reports all the time about small children working long hours and reciving ten cents a day for very hard work. I dont believe children under fourteen should be working doing any kind of hard labor, its different if your doing little help around a business but that is different. I would also think before i boycott thoguh because i would want to know if the children have to work as a necessity to support their family. Also how it would the economics of the companies that rely on it because it affects many
ReplyDeleteI understand lisa' s comments about not really thinking about products when she buys them because most people dont. B ut they really should i was kinda shocked when she said she was not concerened i think their should be more reports to help inform customers about the products people are buying and where they got them from and the labor it took to get it
ReplyDeleteI can understand Lisa's statement about not trying to picture things like child labor in the world. That relativistic feeling explains why our culture in general can easily purchase items without much worry about where they come from or how they are made.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Karla Duque...
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. At that particular moment that I am purchasing a clothing item, my mind is not set on, " let me look at the tag to see where it's made". I just purchase it. If i like it i buy it. Factories are only concerned about cheap-easy labor. They know that people need jobs in third world countries and children are their target. They dehumanize their workers by over working them and not paying them enough. However I don't think i see it in an American point of view. The ethical dilemma is fairness and equality. How far must someboy go to obtain success? I think it's more Justice Ethics. It focus on how fair or unfair employers treat their employees.
I never really thought about where the products I was buying came from. Honestly I still don't think about it. As Americans I think the consumer economy is more concerned with acquiring things rather than how they are being produced and by whom. I don't agree with child labor and I know it is highly dangerous, but there is very little we can do about it, especially if it's overseas. I can boycott a place but the chances of my example really touching the masses is very slim. I think part of the problem is that people think that child labor no longer exists. If we don't see it, then it must not be happening.
ReplyDeleteIn response to FGGonzales,
ReplyDeleteI find it very interesting that you try to buy items strictly made in the U.S. I wonder how successful you are at doing that! Most of the stuff I've seen is usually made in China and I actually get surprised when I see something that was made in the USA.