Session 7 - Global Culture
|
|
|
The Discarded Factory: Study/ analysis
Written by Naomi Klein, 'The Discarded Factory' is a chapter in her book No Logo (2005). Here we dive deep into the shift from factory to branding. Brands are something we are very accustomed to in this modern day and age, and most people would recognize brand like Nike, Adidas, Starbucks, or Apple. The outward facade they want to display to the public through advertisement, sponsorship, logo, design and marketing is what we perceive as 'brand'. There is a huge need to be able to identify with the products, and the powerful quote by Walter Landor, president of Landor branding agency, "products are made in the factory, but products are created in the mind" (Landor, cited in Klein, 2005, p. 195) really speaks of this. We buy into the image of the brand. Advertisement and marketing is where most of the budget goes, which is quite different from previous strategies, where the factory production itself was of highest importance. The last few decades we have outsourced our workforce to mostly Asian countries as the west no longer sees the value in making their own products, resulting in mass layoffs and factory closures. Handing their needs out to contractors, they are the ones employing workers and finding factory spaces. These spaces are popular in Indonesia, China, Mexico and Vietnam. But what makes these places so attractive? One in that they are free trade zones, where tax laws usually don't apply, and you can freely flow your product through as well as store product with low to no tax. Often 'tax holidays' are offered for the first few years of contract. They are also offered their military to keep their workers straight. Secondly, they auction their workers off like toys, playing around with how little money they need paid. Their low wages gives the west the ability to give their products insane markups, but to what cost? Most of the workers complain about long workdays, where they work 12+ hours (depending on the country). Most of them are also young women, sitting hunchbacked all day with tedious and low skilled work. Their management is often abusive, making sure that all orders are filled out no matter. A lot of them are migrant workers, travelling long ways for work. The factories they work in are always cheaply made, often concrete, aluminium or plastic. Compared to domestic factories that proudly display the logo on the front, these factories are tucked away and discreet, and more often than not competitors in the west have their products made side by side in the same factory. Maximum usage factories get the most out of each square meter and will not waste any free space, even if the rent is generally very low (Klein, 2005, p. 195-207).
This subject is something I have had a lot of research on from my upper secondary education, but I have usually written and talked about the Bangladesh factories specifically. The horrid living conditions, the barred factory windows and the multiple accidents and fires that have occurred is extremely upsetting, like the 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse as pictured in figure 7. Finding links to clothing brands like H&M, I looked through my own clothes to see where my clothes were from. It did not surprise me when I saw one of my t shirts from Bangladesh, and I instantly felt a huge sense of regret. It is however an ethical question whether or not we should support these brands. On one hand you give the workers the chance to work if you do support it, but it isn't a nearly good enough contract and the pay is horrid. If we boycott it they might make the pay better, but the brands will more likely lay off their workers. It is vital however to educate people on the matter and to have a conscious mind about the matter and be aware of our shopping behaviour.
According to Brittany Hunter at the Foundation of Economic Education, banning them is indeed a bad idea in hindsight. Understandably it is horrible and we wish the situation was different. However, our corporatism is actually helping their economy and lifting them out of poverty (Stefan, 2002, cited in Hunter, 2018). Boycotting this movement means putting progress on hold, and stops them from competing with other countries when it comes to retail (Skarbek, 2016, cited in Hunter, 2018). There is also the problem of payment, where workers are paid below what they need, but as it is one of the most sought after job in developing countries most employees are not having trouble finding workers, and they both agree on the wages (Skarbek, 2016, cited in Hunter, 2018). Lastly there is the conditions of the workplace. Compared to the west it is not an acceptable place to work, but it is also unrealistic to hold western standards up against developing countries, and the workers are apaprently fine with it aslong as their pay isn't lowered (Hunter, 2018).
This is just a different viewpoint from Klein's book, but I feel like again it is important for us to see both sides and make a decision for ourselves and check what is most important to us. Feel free to research the matter more and maybe specifically look into brands you have followed for a long time to see if their corporal structure aligns with your values.
Hunter, K. (2018) Banning Sweatshops Only Hurts the Poor. Available at: https://fee.org/articles/banning-sweatshops-only-hurts-the-poor/ (Accessed 12 April 2020)
Klein, N. (2005) No Logo. London: Harper Perennial.
Fig. 7 Chowdhury, S. (2013) 2013 Savar Building Collapse [Photography] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Dhaka_garment_factory_collapse#/media/File:2013_savar_building_collapse02.jpg (Accessed 22 April 2020)
This subject is something I have had a lot of research on from my upper secondary education, but I have usually written and talked about the Bangladesh factories specifically. The horrid living conditions, the barred factory windows and the multiple accidents and fires that have occurred is extremely upsetting, like the 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse as pictured in figure 7. Finding links to clothing brands like H&M, I looked through my own clothes to see where my clothes were from. It did not surprise me when I saw one of my t shirts from Bangladesh, and I instantly felt a huge sense of regret. It is however an ethical question whether or not we should support these brands. On one hand you give the workers the chance to work if you do support it, but it isn't a nearly good enough contract and the pay is horrid. If we boycott it they might make the pay better, but the brands will more likely lay off their workers. It is vital however to educate people on the matter and to have a conscious mind about the matter and be aware of our shopping behaviour.
According to Brittany Hunter at the Foundation of Economic Education, banning them is indeed a bad idea in hindsight. Understandably it is horrible and we wish the situation was different. However, our corporatism is actually helping their economy and lifting them out of poverty (Stefan, 2002, cited in Hunter, 2018). Boycotting this movement means putting progress on hold, and stops them from competing with other countries when it comes to retail (Skarbek, 2016, cited in Hunter, 2018). There is also the problem of payment, where workers are paid below what they need, but as it is one of the most sought after job in developing countries most employees are not having trouble finding workers, and they both agree on the wages (Skarbek, 2016, cited in Hunter, 2018). Lastly there is the conditions of the workplace. Compared to the west it is not an acceptable place to work, but it is also unrealistic to hold western standards up against developing countries, and the workers are apaprently fine with it aslong as their pay isn't lowered (Hunter, 2018).
This is just a different viewpoint from Klein's book, but I feel like again it is important for us to see both sides and make a decision for ourselves and check what is most important to us. Feel free to research the matter more and maybe specifically look into brands you have followed for a long time to see if their corporal structure aligns with your values.
Hunter, K. (2018) Banning Sweatshops Only Hurts the Poor. Available at: https://fee.org/articles/banning-sweatshops-only-hurts-the-poor/ (Accessed 12 April 2020)
Klein, N. (2005) No Logo. London: Harper Perennial.
Fig. 7 Chowdhury, S. (2013) 2013 Savar Building Collapse [Photography] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Dhaka_garment_factory_collapse#/media/File:2013_savar_building_collapse02.jpg (Accessed 22 April 2020)
Figure 7. Chowdhury, S. (2013) 2013 Savar Building Collapse [Photography]
|
|