Video: “The Big One” – Michael Moore (Excerpt).
To which extent companies should lower the cost of their human “resources”? In fact, companies do produce a lot of their products in countries where wages are much lower than in Europe or in the United States. We study the production of soccer balls by children in Pakistan and the policy towards child labour adopted by companies of the sporting goods sector. Finally, we discuss the promises and pitfalls of global labour standards.
Preparation (300 words)
Given the exploitative (or abusive in the sense of Meyer’s paper) conditions in the textile industry, find a way for companies to be honest in their communication.
Required reading
Meyers, C. “Wrongful Beneficence: Exploitation and Third World Sweatshops” in Journal of Social Philosophy, vol. 35 No. 3, Fall 2004, pp. 319-333.
Optional readings
Consult UNICEF “Child Labor Today” 2005.
Dahle, C.: “Gap’s New Look: The See-Through”. Fast Company, Sept. 2004.
Rothstein, Richard. “The Global Hiring Wall: Why we Need Worldwide Labor Standards”, in The American Prospect, Vol. 5, No. 17 (March 21, 1994).
Slides for download (.ppt)
