WHAT SHOULD WE WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT DO ABOUT

SWEATSHOPS?SWEATSHOPS?THREE APPROACHES FOR THREE APPROACHES FOR

DEALING WITH MORAL PROBLEMS DEALING WITH MORAL PROBLEMS AND HOW THEY APPLY TO THE AND HOW THEY APPLY TO THE

ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN SWEATSHOPS.SWEATSHOPS.

WHY IS JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT SELLING WHY IS JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT SELLING HANES SWEATSHOP UNDERWEAR?HANES SWEATSHOP UNDERWEAR?

LESSON APPROACHLESSON APPROACH

► INTRODUCE THREE MAIN WAYS OF ANALYZING INTRODUCE THREE MAIN WAYS OF ANALYZING MORAL PROBLEMS AS THEY APPLY TO SWEATSHOPS.MORAL PROBLEMS AS THEY APPLY TO SWEATSHOPS.

► WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP SWEATSHOPS?SWEATSHOPS?

► READ AN ESSAY ON ECONOMICS AND ETHICS THAT READ AN ESSAY ON ECONOMICS AND ETHICS THAT DEFINES SWEATSHOPS AND WHY THEY EXIST.DEFINES SWEATSHOPS AND WHY THEY EXIST.

► ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF LABOR MARKETS.LABOR MARKETS.

► CONSIDER TWO OPPOSING VIEWS ABOUT CONSIDER TWO OPPOSING VIEWS ABOUT SWEATSHOPS AND DISCUSS THE ETHICAL SWEATSHOPS AND DISCUSS THE ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR WORKERS IN DEVELOPING IMPLICATIONS FOR WORKERS IN DEVELOPING NATIONS AND CONSUMERS IN WEALTHY NATIONS.NATIONS AND CONSUMERS IN WEALTHY NATIONS.

► DISCUSS AND EVALUATE THREE POLICY OPTIONS DISCUSS AND EVALUATE THREE POLICY OPTIONS FOR DEALING WITH SWEATSHOPS.FOR DEALING WITH SWEATSHOPS.

FEATURES OF SWEATSHOPSFEATURES OF SWEATSHOPS

► LOW WAGESLOW WAGES► LONG WORKING HOURSLONG WORKING HOURS► HEALTH AND/OR SAFETY HEALTH AND/OR SAFETY

HAZARDSHAZARDS► ARBITRARY DISCIPLINEARBITRARY DISCIPLINE► NO JOB SECURITYNO JOB SECURITY► PHYSICAL ABUSE, THREATS, PHYSICAL ABUSE, THREATS,

AND INTIMIDATIONAND INTIMIDATION► WORKERS HAVE NO VOICE WORKERS HAVE NO VOICE ► CHILD LABORCHILD LABOR

CONTRIBUTING FACTORSCONTRIBUTING FACTORS► DENSE POPULATIONS DENSE POPULATIONS ► LIMITED EDUCATION HIGH LIMITED EDUCATION HIGH

UNEMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENT► FEW JOB ALTERNATIVESFEW JOB ALTERNATIVES► EXTREME POVERTYEXTREME POVERTY► WORKERS WITH LOW WORKERS WITH LOW

PRODUCTIVITYPRODUCTIVITY► NO SOCIAL SAFETY NETNO SOCIAL SAFETY NET► CORRUPT, WEAK OR CORRUPT, WEAK OR

UNDEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTUNDEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT► SECRECY AND LACK OF SECRECY AND LACK OF

WORKSPACE TRANSPARENCY, WORKSPACE TRANSPARENCY, OFTEN IN PLACES WITHOUT A FREE OFTEN IN PLACES WITHOUT A FREE PRESSPRESS

► NO SYSTEM OF JUSTICE TO NO SYSTEM OF JUSTICE TO PROTECT BASIC RIGHTSPROTECT BASIC RIGHTS

► CONSUMER IGNORANCE ABOUT OR CONSUMER IGNORANCE ABOUT OR NEGLECT OF THE PLIGHT OF NEGLECT OF THE PLIGHT OF SWEATSHOP WORKERSSWEATSHOP WORKERS

CHARACTERISTICS OF LESS-CHARACTERISTICS OF LESS-COMPETITIVE LABOR MARKETCOMPETITIVE LABOR MARKET

► ONE BUYER OF LABOR OR ONE BUYER OF LABOR OR COLLUSION OF SEVERAL COLLUSION OF SEVERAL BUYERS ACTING AS ONEBUYERS ACTING AS ONE

► MANY SELLERS OF LABORMANY SELLERS OF LABOR► ENTRY OF COMPETING ENTRY OF COMPETING

FIRMS BLOCKEDFIRMS BLOCKED► HIGH COSTS FOR WORKERS HIGH COSTS FOR WORKERS

TO SEARCH FOR JOBSTO SEARCH FOR JOBS► COERCIVE EXCHANGE COERCIVE EXCHANGE

BECAUSE OTHER JOB BECAUSE OTHER JOB OPTIONS FOR WORKERS OPTIONS FOR WORKERS ARE ARTIFICIALLY BLOCKEDARE ARTIFICIALLY BLOCKED

► ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION OR BARGAINING POWEROR BARGAINING POWER

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPETITIVE LABOR MARKETCOMPETITIVE LABOR MARKET

►MANY BUYERS OF MANY BUYERS OF LABORLABOR

►MANY SELLERS OF MANY SELLERS OF LABORLABOR

► FREE ENTRY OR EXITFREE ENTRY OR EXIT► VOLUNTARY VOLUNTARY

EXCHANGEEXCHANGE►GOOD INFORMATION GOOD INFORMATION

FOR BOTH BUYERS FOR BOTH BUYERS AND SELLERSAND SELLERS

CONSIDER THESE CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

WHAT IS EXPLOITATION? WHAT WHAT IS EXPLOITATION? WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A RELATIONSHIP IN CHARACTERISTICS MAKE A RELATIONSHIP IN THE MARKET EXPLOITATIVE?THE MARKET EXPLOITATIVE?

ARE LOW WAGES IN FACTORIES PROOF THAT ARE LOW WAGES IN FACTORIES PROOF THAT FIRMS ARE EXPLOITING WORKERS? WHY?FIRMS ARE EXPLOITING WORKERS? WHY?

WHAT KEY INSTITUTIONS MAY BE MISSING IN WHAT KEY INSTITUTIONS MAY BE MISSING IN COUNTRIES WITH LESS COMPETITIVE COUNTRIES WITH LESS COMPETITIVE MARKETS?MARKETS?

HOW DO LABOR MARKETS IN DEVELOPING HOW DO LABOR MARKETS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE?COUNTRIES BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE?

APPROACHES TO ETHICAL APPROACHES TO ETHICAL ISSUESISSUES

► OUTCOMES MATTER OUTCOMES MATTER (OUTCOMES BASED (OUTCOMES BASED ETHICS)ETHICS)

► DUTY MATTERS (DUTY DUTY MATTERS (DUTY BASED ETHICS)BASED ETHICS)

► CHARACTER MATTERS CHARACTER MATTERS (VIRTUE BASED (VIRTUE BASED ETHICS)ETHICS)

► EXAMINE THE EXAMINE THE OUTCOMES IN OUTCOMES IN PEOPLE’S LIVESPEOPLE’S LIVES

► ASK WHETHER THE ASK WHETHER THE BASIC DIGNITY OF ALL BASIC DIGNITY OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS IS HUMAN BEINGS IS UPHELDUPHELD

► DECIDE WHETHER DECIDE WHETHER SWEATSHOPS SWEATSHOPS CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONTRIBUTE TO THE FORMATION OF GOOD FORMATION OF GOOD CHARACTER AND CHARACTER AND VIRTUES FOR VIRTUES FOR WORKERS, MANAGERS, WORKERS, MANAGERS, AND CONSUMERSAND CONSUMERS

Which of the following features of sweatshops Which of the following features of sweatshops is most troubling from the perspective of is most troubling from the perspective of

virtue-based ethics?virtue-based ethics?

A.A. Workers receive very low wages.Workers receive very low wages.

B.B. Workers do not have leisure or Workers do not have leisure or freedom to develop their characters.freedom to develop their characters.

C.C. Sweatshops exploit the desperate Sweatshops exploit the desperate situation of their workers.situation of their workers.

D.D. Workers are not treated with respect.Workers are not treated with respect.

A duty based approach to ethics settles moral A duty based approach to ethics settles moral decisions bydecisions by

A.A. weighing the consequences of an act.weighing the consequences of an act.

B.B. considering the greatest net pleasure considering the greatest net pleasure that results from a particular decision.that results from a particular decision.

C.C. appealing to universal rules.appealing to universal rules.

D.D. considering the decision maker’s considering the decision maker’s character and intentions.character and intentions.

An outcomes-based approach to ethics judges An outcomes-based approach to ethics judges actions byactions by

A.A. weighing the consequences for weighing the consequences for society.society.

B.B. considering what maximizes one’s considering what maximizes one’s own happiness.own happiness.

C.C. appealing to basic human rights.appealing to basic human rights.

D.D. considering the decision maker’s considering the decision maker’s character and intentions.character and intentions.

PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO SEGMENTS AND THEN ANSWER THE PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO SEGMENTS AND THEN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE THREE FOLLOWING QUESTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE THREE

NORMATIVE APPROACHESNORMATIVE APPROACHES

SWEATSHOPS MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR SWEATSHOPS MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR WEALTHY CONSUMERS IN DEVELOPED WEALTHY CONSUMERS IN DEVELOPED

COUNTRIES TO BUY CHEAP COUNTRIES TO BUY CHEAP PRODUCTS. DOES THIS BENEFICIAL PRODUCTS. DOES THIS BENEFICIAL

OUTCOME MAKE SWEATSHOPS OUTCOME MAKE SWEATSHOPS MORALLY JUSTIFIABLE? WHY? MORALLY JUSTIFIABLE? WHY? INCLUDE IN YOUR ANSWER THE INCLUDE IN YOUR ANSWER THE

MORAL PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH MORAL PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH YOU ARE ARGUING.YOU ARE ARGUING.

FAIR LABOR ASSOCIATION FAIR LABOR ASSOCIATION WORKPLACE CODE OF WORKPLACE CODE OF

CONDUCTCONDUCT► PROHIBITS FORCED, PROHIBITS FORCED,

PRISON, OR CHILD PRISON, OR CHILD LABORLABOR

► PROHIBITS ANY FORM PROHIBITS ANY FORM OF HARASSMENT OR OF HARASSMENT OR ABUSEABUSE

► PROHIBITS ANY FORM PROHIBITS ANY FORM OF DISCRIMINATIONOF DISCRIMINATION

► PROHIBITS UNSAFE PROHIBITS UNSAFE AND UNHEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY WORKING CONDITIONSWORKING CONDITIONS

FLA REQUIRES PARTICIPANTS FLA REQUIRES PARTICIPANTS TO:TO:

► RESPECT THE RIGHT TO RESPECT THE RIGHT TO COLLECTIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAININGBARGAINING

► PAY AT LEAST THE PAY AT LEAST THE LEGAL MINIMUM WAGELEGAL MINIMUM WAGE

► PROVIDE LEGALLY PROVIDE LEGALLY REQUIRED BENEFITSREQUIRED BENEFITS

► MAINTAIN REASONABLE MAINTAIN REASONABLE HOURS OF WORK AND HOURS OF WORK AND TIME-OFFTIME-OFF

► PAY EMPLOYEES FOR PAY EMPLOYEES FOR WORKING OVERTIMEWORKING OVERTIME

SO, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?SO, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

OPTION 1: OPTION 1: INTERNATIONAL TREATY INTERNATIONAL TREATY

IF A TREATY SIMILAR TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION IF A TREATY SIMILAR TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION ESTABLISHED MINIMUM WORKING CONDITIONS IN LABOR ESTABLISHED MINIMUM WORKING CONDITIONS IN LABOR MARKETS, WHAT BASIC RIGHTS SHOULD THE TREATY MARKETS, WHAT BASIC RIGHTS SHOULD THE TREATY PROVIDE EVERY WORKER?PROVIDE EVERY WORKER?

OPTION 2: OPTION 2: MARKETS AND MONITORINGMARKETS AND MONITORING

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING THE MARKET-MONITORING APPROACH TO USING THE MARKET-MONITORING APPROACH TO REFORM SWEATSHOPS?REFORM SWEATSHOPS?

OPTION 3: OPTION 3: TAKE NO ACTIONTAKE NO ACTION

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES?WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES?