Zwolinski Sweatshops Summary

For this assignment video Professor Matt Zwolinski talks about Sweatshops. Sweatshops are traditionally known to have limited regulation when its comes to hours worked and wages. Because of this most Sweatshops are found in domestic economies and third world countries, China, Central and South America, and India contain the majority of the sweatshop industry. The New York Times published an article about Nokuthula Masango, a sweatshop worker in Newcastle, South Africa. As a result of the the sweatshop where she worked closed, Nokuthula was said to have worked long hours in poor conditions while working. In this video the professor is not answering the question if sweatshop workers are treated fairly, Zwolinski goes on to say for the sake

What they are doing is providing jobs that pay better than most alternatives, and they are contributing to a process of economic development that has the potential to offer better living standards. Many social and labor activist are the reason why Governments eventually change their laws like we saw in South Africa. Since the sweatshops are able to shut down instead of following to the law, more people in South Africa are unemployed and must work domestic and urban, low paying jobs. Zwolinski says it best, “Sometimes the most well intentioned actions, have unintended consequences” (Zwolinski). The activist who protest the idea of sweatshops did not account for the closing of a sweatshop affects everyone associated with it. From there Zwolinski brings up the question of whether an American company outsourcing jobs to a country like Africa sounds better than a company only giving jobs to Americans? Arguably, the average American worker has access to a higher education and standard of living and are already comparatively the wealthiest in the world. Sweatshops in Africa would give a group of Africans the opportunity to work and make money, and actually do compared to other jobs. Zwolinski ends the video by asking “which looks better: the American company that outsources to a sweatshop and provides jobs in developing countries, or the American company that, because of its high-minded

All of his information is factual and is presented in a clear and concise way. The issue came at the very end of the video after he has made his last point about American workers. The last question Zwolinski leaves us with is of whether a company outsourcing jobs sounds better than a company strictly hiring American. This last question just feels unnecessary, I understand that he wants to offer the viewer something to think about, however there are problems with that question. After watching the full video and seeing how Sweatshops help benefit some people should be the main point of the video. Instead he brings up another issue that already exist on companies outsourcing jobs, because the American worker doesn’t need the money as much. Even with the way the American is drawn is Zwolinski trying to make people choose the outsourcing. The American is depicted as lazy since they are sitting on a couch and watching tv, while Nokuthula is dressed traditionally and looking down on the American. It was unsettling by the end and Zwolinski left the video on a bad note. Overall it is a unnecessary attempt to leave the viewer with something more, I understand why they tried something, however the final question and cartoon was not a good