The Garment Industry in the Restructuring of Global Economy, Article Review Example

The article discusses the global restructuring of world economy.  The article argues that globalization is the manufacturing and production of goods that relocate from a highly industrialized country to a new industrialized location and then onto an even lesser industrialized country.  The garment industry in the restructuring of the global economy depends on manufacturing based on cost, quality, and turn-around time.  These jobs are fought over, and the employees are the ones who often end up exploited as a result of globalization.

In summary, the restricting provides a new type of corporation that organizes manufacturing in multiple locations. They make the decisions on locations based on the profit-making stipulations void of governmental input.  The biggest results of global restructuring, socially, are the mixing of farmers and peasants into the economy.  The articles describes “first generation wage-workers” move between both noncapitalist and capitalist divisions.  Through this employees are often exploited and required to work with low pay and difficult conditions.  Eventually these workers are unable to survive and move to more developed countries with the desire to find better options.

The fashion industry typically pursues the industrialization, a way to manufacture products at a cheaper price with the intention of exporting them.  The goal of these companies is to mimic countries such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.  This way they can climb up the economic hierarchy as well. There are both pros and cons to the implementation of globalization.  The biggest benefit is the greater production of a much lower-cost, higher quality good.    These products can be developed in less-developed countries which in turn builds their economy.  This also gives these workers advances in their profession, opening up the door for other jobs and for the global market to increase.

Government, economist, and corporations utilized free trade and the open market to influence decision making regarding economics, making it a dominant ideology.  On the negative side, there is a negative impact on class stratification.  Young women have the highest demand of corporations and capitalists. Countries fight for business by repressing employees movements by operating under low-cost, strict, and unorganized work force.  Employees accept less than adequate jobs as a means to merely make a living. This weakens the working class which makes them more attractive to the foreign capitalists.  There is both good and bad associated with both sides of globalization.  Believing in economies profit from globalization and the benefits they bring, while the individuals who are forsaken by the economy can do nothing about it.

Globalization in the fashion industry is growingly common. It has been implemented for years and the process has continued to be utilized. “International trade in apparel reached $276 billion in 2005, about 2.7 percent of the world’s merchandise trade. In 2005, Americans bought one billion garments made in China, which is about the equivalent of four garments per U.S. citizen.”(Fashion Globalization) Countries use outsourcing location change location to remain competitive and save a dollar.  This is not a new concept, and it will continue to evolve.  The workers will continue to work for low wages, while businesses continue to fight for their location to be utilized.   Exploiting workers will continue to go on as globalization evolves so will the restructuring.

References:

Bonachich, Edna; Lucie Cheng; Norma Chinchilla; Nora Hamilton; and Paul Ong. “The Garment Industry in the Restructuring Global Economy”.  Understanding Society, 2005. Print.

“Fashion and Globalization”. The Levin Institute, 2008. 20 Nov. 2012. Web.