Think globallyThink globallyAct locallyAct locally

The more you know, the less you need.The more you know, the less you need.

http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/sweatshop.htmhttp://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/sweatshop.htm

Consumer CultureConsumer Culture

Consumerism is defined here as the Consumerism is defined here as the collection of behaviors, attitudes, and collection of behaviors, attitudes, and values that are associated with the values that are associated with the consumption of material goods. It is consumption of material goods. It is a moral doctrine, a means for a moral doctrine, a means for defining social status, vehicle for defining social status, vehicle for economic development, public policy economic development, public policy and social movement.and social movement.

Materialism Materialism

Materialism is another Materialism is another perspective that is prevalent in perspective that is prevalent in consumer culture. It is defined consumer culture. It is defined as the importance a consumer as the importance a consumer attaches to worldly possessions attaches to worldly possessions and are believed to provide the and are believed to provide the greatest sources of satisfaction greatest sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. and dissatisfaction.

Consumer cultureConsumer culture

A central feature of consumer culture A central feature of consumer culture is the relationship between people is the relationship between people and material goods. Generically, and material goods. Generically, consumer culture is a social consumer culture is a social arrangement in which the buying and arrangement in which the buying and selling of goods and services is not selling of goods and services is not only a predominant activity of only a predominant activity of everyday life but also an important everyday life but also an important arbiter of social organization, arbiter of social organization, significance, and meaning.significance, and meaning.

What are the top 10 significant things in our What are the top 10 significant things in our society?society?

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Themes of materialismThemes of materialism

People can become so People can become so obsessed about what other obsessed about what other people are wearing and how people are wearing and how their clothes reflect their social their clothes reflect their social status. People like to judge status. People like to judge others by their clothes, and they others by their clothes, and they decide who that person is by decide who that person is by how he or she appears to them. how he or she appears to them. How can a person be judged by How can a person be judged by what he/she is wearing? what he/she is wearing?

Questions we should ask ourselvesQuestions we should ask ourselves

"Are material things more important than "Are material things more important than everything else? everything else?

Is material success the highest goal? Is material success the highest goal? If things are all there are, what's life all If things are all there are, what's life all

about? about? If life is really just about materialism, why If life is really just about materialism, why

should we even try to live a moral life? should we even try to live a moral life? What does it matter how we treat others or What does it matter how we treat others or

how we live, as long as we have what we how we live, as long as we have what we want? want?

What is sweatshop?What is sweatshop?

Sweatshop is a kind of a plant Sweatshop is a kind of a plant consisting of buildings with consisting of buildings with facilities for manufacturing of facilities for manufacturing of clothing and other things. clothing and other things. Workers who do piece work for Workers who do piece work for poor pay and are prevented poor pay and are prevented from forming unions are very from forming unions are very common in the fashion industry. common in the fashion industry.

SweatshopSweatshop

Sweatshop workers often work Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum overtime pay or a minimum wage. These workers are often wage. These workers are often exposed to hazardous materials exposed to hazardous materials and situations. Workers may be and situations. Workers may be subject to employer abuse subject to employer abuse without an easy way to protect without an easy way to protect themselves. themselves.

Sweatshop issuesSweatshop issues

Sweatshops are a difficult issue Sweatshops are a difficult issue to resolve because their roots lie to resolve because their roots lie in the conceptual foundations of in the conceptual foundations of the world economy. The shift of the world economy. The shift of production to developing production to developing countries is part of the process countries is part of the process known as globalization to known as globalization to emphasize the role that free emphasize the role that free market economics plays in market economics plays in outsourcing. outsourcing.

Canadian Museum of Human Canadian Museum of Human Rights practice the child labour?Rights practice the child labour?

Video clips from the Winnipeg Video clips from the Winnipeg Free Press Breaking News at Free Press Breaking News at http://www.winnipeg http://www.winnipeg freepress.com/breakingnews/mufreepress.com/breakingnews/museum-t-shirts-questioned-seum-t-shirts-questioned-175923511.html 175923511.html

Anti-sweatshop movementAnti-sweatshop movement

The earliest sweatshop The earliest sweatshop abolitionist movement had abolitionist movement had originally joined together to originally joined together to oppose slavery in the 19oppose slavery in the 19thth century. Many abolitionists saw century. Many abolitionists saw similarities between slavery and similarities between slavery and sweatshop work. France had sweatshop work. France had successfully outlawed slavery in successfully outlawed slavery in the industrial institutions in 1794 the industrial institutions in 1794 and the United States in 1865.and the United States in 1865.

Anti-globalization movementAnti-globalization movement

More recently, the anti-globalization More recently, the anti-globalization movement has opposed the corporate movement has opposed the corporate globalization, a process by which the globalization, a process by which the multinational corporations have moved multinational corporations have moved their operations overseas in order to lower their operations overseas in order to lower their costs and to increase profits. The their costs and to increase profits. The anti-sweatshop movement has much in anti-sweatshop movement has much in common with the anti-globalization common with the anti-globalization movement. Both regard sweatshops movement. Both regard sweatshops harmful, and both accuse many companies harmful, and both accuse many companies (such as the Walt Disney Company, The (such as the Walt Disney Company, The Gap, and Nike) of using sweatshops.Gap, and Nike) of using sweatshops.

Critics of sweatshopsCritics of sweatshops

Critics point out that sweatshop Critics point out that sweatshop workers often do not earn enough workers often do not earn enough money to buy the products such as t-money to buy the products such as t-shirts, shoes, and toys that they shirts, shoes, and toys that they make. In 2003, Honduran garment make. In 2003, Honduran garment factory workers were paid US $0.24 factory workers were paid US $0.24 for each $50 Sean John sweatshirt, for each $50 Sean John sweatshirt, $0.15 for each long-sleeved t-shirt, $0.15 for each long-sleeved t-shirt, and only 5 cents for each short-and only 5 cents for each short-sleeved shirt – less than half of one sleeved shirt – less than half of one percent of the retail price.percent of the retail price.

Critics of sweatshopsCritics of sweatshops

Furthermore, critics of sweatshops point to Furthermore, critics of sweatshops point to the fact that those in the West who defend the fact that those in the West who defend sweatshops show double standards by sweatshops show double standards by complaining about sweatshop labour complaining about sweatshop labour conditions in countries considered hostile conditions in countries considered hostile by Western governments, while still gladly by Western governments, while still gladly consuming their exports but complaining consuming their exports but complaining about the quality. They contend that about the quality. They contend that multinational jobs should be expected to multinational jobs should be expected to operate according to international labour operate according to international labour and environmental laws and minimum and environmental laws and minimum wage standards like those in the West do. wage standards like those in the West do. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop

Free The Children movementFree The Children movement

Free The ChildrenFree The Children is an  is an international charity and youth international charity and youth movement founded in 1995 by movement founded in 1995 by children's rightschildren's rights advocate Craig  advocate Craig Kielburger. The organization is Kielburger. The organization is largely youth-funded, based on largely youth-funded, based on the concept of “children helping the concept of “children helping children” that empower youth in children” that empower youth in developed countries to become developed countries to become socially engaged. socially engaged.

Free The Children historyFree The Children history

Kielburger formed “Free The Kielburger formed “Free The Children” movement with a group of Children” movement with a group of his classmates to expose child his classmates to expose child labour to North Americans and labour to North Americans and encouraged other children to get encouraged other children to get involved in the issue. In an attempt involved in the issue. In an attempt to learn more about child labour, he to learn more about child labour, he travelled to South Asia to hear child travelled to South Asia to hear child labourers’ stories personally, and labourers’ stories personally, and persuaded Prime Minister Jean persuaded Prime Minister Jean Chretien, who visited Southeast Asia Chretien, who visited Southeast Asia for a trade delegation, to bring the for a trade delegation, to bring the subject of international child labour. subject of international child labour.

Youth empowerment workYouth empowerment work

Free The Children has Free The Children has collaborated with schools in collaborated with schools in developed countries "to developed countries "to educate, engage and empower educate, engage and empower young people as agents of young people as agents of change" through youth program change" through youth program coordinators in middle-year and coordinators in middle-year and high school. Free the Children high school. Free the Children has teamed up with Me to We to has teamed up with Me to We to offer international volunteer trips offer international volunteer trips for youth through fundraising.for youth through fundraising.

We Day global actionWe Day global action

We DayWe Day is the Free The children’s  is the Free The children’s annual "youth empowerment" event annual "youth empowerment" event being held in cities across Canada. being held in cities across Canada. We Day motivates youth to take We Day motivates youth to take action on local and global issues. action on local and global issues. Since 2007, thousands of Canadian Since 2007, thousands of Canadian students have attended We Day students have attended We Day events, which feature speeches and events, which feature speeches and performances from global leaders, performances from global leaders, social activists, and public figures. social activists, and public figures.

We Day global movementWe Day global movement

We DayWe Day took place on October 19, took place on October 19, 2007 at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum 2007 at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum and involved more than 7,500 youth. and involved more than 7,500 youth. The participants were students from The participants were students from grades 7 to 10 in more than 500 grades 7 to 10 in more than 500 schools in the Greater Toronto Area. schools in the Greater Toronto Area. By 2009, students had pledged over By 2009, students had pledged over $5 million dollars to local, national, $5 million dollars to local, national, and international charities, and and international charities, and volunteered over 150,000 hours.volunteered over 150,000 hours.

SourcesSources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_the_Childrenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_the_Children

http://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/sweatshop.htmhttp://www.audioenglish.net/dictionary/sweatshop.htm

http://voices.yahoo.com/themes-materialism-american-http://voices.yahoo.com/themes-materialism-american-literature-49924.htmlliterature-49924.html

http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/materialism.htmhttp://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/materialism.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/historical-materialismhttp://www.answers.com/topic/historical-materialism

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200612http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061214095521AAamfQd14095521AAamfQd