Child Labor Essays (Examples)

Child Labor Define Child and Labor Separately

Child Labor

Define child and labor separately.

Child labor in the United States has long been a subject of concern. The U.S. enacted strict child labor statutes in 1938 (Labor, 2009), and has continued to enforce that law. However, there remain problems at home in the U.S. And abroad. The United States seeks to enforce the law, but there are times when it is difficult to catch perpetrators of violations. However, the U.S. has trade restrictions against countries that do not have strict enforcement of international standards. This research examines statutes in the United States (including their historic antecedents), what is being done to violators, and how trade is affected by citizen outcry against human rights violators and compliance with international law.

Purpose Statement

Current thinking on human rights dictates that children reach a certain age before they are to be put into the workforce. However, different cultures have different ideas about what constitutes child labor. Even within the United States, there are cultural divides on what constitutes child labor. The purpose of this research examination is to determine what different terms mean in different areas of the world, and whether that should have bearing on how national and international…… [Read More]

Child Labor and Society A Detrimental Situation

Child Labor and Society: A Detrimental Situation

Child labor is detrimental to the well-being of the subject as well as the society to which he belongs. Throughout history, sundry civilizations have borne witness to the harsh reality termed as "child labor." The agrarian realm enlisted the help of small hands from the beginning of time. Innocent children as young as six or seven persevered in arduous working conditions on farms. However, the Industrial Revolution escalated this cruel trend to new heights. A job in the factory now meant twelve to eighteen hours of work a day, six days a week. The early and mid-1800s foresaw the release of litigation that addressed the issue of child labor for the first time (Online). Despite the fact that child labor has been globally condemned for almost two centuries, there is a long way to go.

It is one of the most pressing social problems that exist in diverse sects across the world, yet what does child labor truly mean? It is "work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development" (International Child Labor). The process of indulging in child labor is…… [Read More]

Child Labor Is Condemned Across the Globe

Child labor is condemned across the globe, but is it fair for a multinational to terminate relationships with suppliers when incidents arise regarding the use of child workers, regardless of the implications to the community as a whole?

It is fair for a multinational to cease doing business with suppliers that fail to comply with ethical labor practices. This does not mean that an isolated violation justifies doing so when the suppliers are really committed to respecting acceptable labor conditions. If a multinational allows supplies to violate ethical labor practices, it would imply that the multinational is not seriously committed to those practices and is as guilty of the violations as the suppliers. The argument that maintaining the level of employment in the community takes precedence over ethical labor practices is wrong. It would mean that any level of exploitation is preferable to having to find alternative employment or being unemployed for a period of time. The case of Nike's decision to terminate its business with Saga illustrates the importance of adhering to ethical labor practices.

Saga's violations of the code of conduct advocated by Nike were systematic, not isolated events. Nike conducted a six-month investigation of labor practices at…… [Read More]

Child Labor in the 19th Century in Europe

Labor in Europe in the 19th Century: Exploitation and the Rise of Labor Unions

As Carolyn Tuttle of Lake Forest College points out, the first textile mills in England were bad enough to elicit the opprobrious condemnation of none other than Charles Dickens in the 19th century, who scorned them as "dark satanic mills" (Tuttle). By the beginning of the 19th century, the First Factory Act of 1802 was passed -- but it did little to amend the strict, severe, and inhuman conditions in which "labor shortage" issues were solved by "employing parish apprentices" (i.e., via the exploitation of child labor) (Tuttle). Dickens would become a proponent of labor and education reform in England, depicting the latter as pernicious as the former in Hard Times (a novel which portrays the headmaster of a school as stubbornly insistent on the rote memorization of "facts" and "nothing but facts" (1) -- a subtle Dickensian point indicating that education had become as mechanical and inhuman as the labor force under the weight of Industrialization). But it was not just in England that labor and education in the time of the Industrial Revolution suffered from the de-humanizing character of the era. In countries such…… [Read More]

Child Labor Is Condemned Across the Globe

Child labor is condemned across the globe, but is it fair for a multinational to terminate relationships with suppliers when incidents arise regarding the use of child workers, regardless of the implications to the community as a whole?

Yes it is fair for multinational companies to end relationships with suppliers when incidents arise regarding the use of child labor. It is more the responsibility of the local governments to monitor the use of child labor than it is of the company itself. There are often rules and regulations within each country that have to be followed and these would be the responsibility of the local government to enforce.

Every company that does business around the world has to be cognizant of the rules and regulations in each place that they do business. They also have to be aware of how things get done in certain places affects them everywhere. For example, in the case of Nike they had to take into consideration when making their decision about what to do, not only how it would affect the country of Pakistan but it also had to think about how it would affect the other places they did business.

If Nike continued…… [Read More]

Child Labor Myanmar Colombia Yemen

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was written to address the issue of using children in armed conflict. Two influences are identified -- state crisis and local conditions. When it comes to preventing the conscription of children into armed forces, state crisis can be difficult to prevent, but local conditions are something that can be addressed (De Berry, 2001). The Convention was written to highlight the opinion that children in armed combat is a form of child abuse, and that this view is widely held across nations (De Silva, Hobbs & Hanks, 2001). The formalization of this view by the United Nations serves to put pressure on nations to remove children from their own armed forces and to seek to address some of the underlying issue that lead to children being conscripted into armed conflict in the first place.

Children suffer immensely from being used as soldiers. Studies have shown that children who engage in armed conflict face "seriously disrupted" moral development (Boyden, 2003), and very high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (Bayer, Klasen & Adam, 2007). As such, this paper will focus on the issue of child soldiers in three countries: Yemen, Myanmar and Colombia. The paper…… [Read More]

Child Labor and NGO Interventions

NGOs intervention on Child slavery - labor abuse

Child labor and slavery is a global problem that has raised concern among various agencies and bodies of governments in different countries. Global organizations like WTO, ILO and GATT among others have prohibited its members from any forms of child labor and encouraged them to take proactive measures towards curbing the vice. With the direct and indirect pressure from these global organizations, there are hardly any nations that do not have explicit laws that ban and condemn the various forms of child labor with serious jail sentences attached to any offence related to child labor, what remains to be done is the implementation of the laws. ILO[footnoteRef:1] recommended that the member states needed to have a time-bound program of the actions they will undertake to eradicate child labor which manifests in the form of forced labor, slavery and slave like conditions, debt bondage, serfdom, pornography, child prostitution, using children for drug trade and employments, acts that are considered harmful, dangerous and hazardous to the child and interferes with their normal lifestyle and education. [1: International labor Organization, "Amsterdam Conference Condemns Intolerable Forms of Child Labor: Call for New International Standards and Global…… [Read More]

What to Think of Child Labor in Different Countries and Eras

Child Labor

The world should be free of the type of child labor that is more akin to slave labor than to "doing one's bit" as Morrow (2010, p. 436) calls it. Morrow points out that in the old days (i.e., during WW1), children were called upon to do their part to help support families, as the world was in dire circumstances, the men were off fighting the war, and women and children had to do more than their fair share to keep the home going. Thus, child labor was a norm and a part of life for a great many people in that era. Yet, after the war and especially after WW2, the quality of life in the West increased and children were not required to "do their part" as much as they had been in the past. They could spend more time playing, or going to school, or exploring the outdoors, or learning skills. However, the rest of the world has not been as fortunate as the West in that their children have not had the same opportunities or the same leisure to enjoy. Especially in developing worlds like Afghanistan, where children "as young as age four" labor…… [Read More]

Use of Child Labor in the Global Environment

Child Labor in the Global Environment

Child labor has received opposition from all corners of the world. However, still there are companies that in exploiting their market in other countries they find opportunity of practicing child labor mainly because these countries might be having strict laws but they do little to protect the rights of children. Nike is among the companies that have been found to be using child labor in the production of its soccer balls in other countries.

Pakistan, of course have laws against child labor and slavery, but their government to some extent have paved the way for these acts since they do little to curb it out. It is only through boycott by the United States as well as other nations has slavery and child-based industries been impacted. Moreover the constitution of the United States describe child labor as illegal and inhuman practice and any company from U.S. which will be found to practice it will face prosecution. WTO and GATT have prohibited its member nations, such as United States, from discriminating against the importation from other countries goods that have been identified to have been made by children.

Tradition of Child labor in Pakistan

Per-capita…… [Read More]

Women and Child Labor Why

So, the market forces of supply and demand continued to drive labor practices despite attempts at government reform. Some experts, however, do believe there was some reduction in the number of young working children and reduced labor hours.

What labor reforms came out of these investigations?

Following the investigations, a series of Factory Acts were passed to reform labor practices over many years. The first three were the Factory Act of 1833, the Factory Act of 1844 and the Factory Act of 1847. The Factory Act of 1833 limed hours of employment for women and children in textile work with the following provisions:

Young people (ages 13-18) must not work more than 10 hours a day.

Children (ages 9-13) must not work more than 9 hours (48 hours per week).

Children (ages 9-13) must have two hours of education per day.

Later, the Factory Act of 1844, also applicable to the textile industry, further reduced hours of work for children and extended many provisions of the Factory Act of 1833 to women. It also added addressed unsanitary and unsafe working conditions. Key provisions included:

Children 8-13 years could not work more than six and a half hours a day.

Women…… [Read More]

Nike and Child Labor it

The Secretary of Labor shall provide by regulation or by order that the employment of employees between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years in occupations other than manufacturing and mining shall not be deemed to constitute oppressive child labor if and to the extent that the Secretary of Labor determines that such employment is confined to periods which will not interfere with their schooling and to conditions which will not interfere with their health and well-being. (29 U.S.C.S. 201 § (3)(l).

Chinese law is theoretically as strict about prohibiting child labor as American law is. Under the Regulations on Prohibition of Child Labor, which was adopted by the State Council in 2002, employers are prohibited from hiring children under the age of 16. Moreover, "The regulation stipulates that employers will be fined 5,000 yuan ($720) for every child laborer they hire for one month. If they continue to do so, authorities will rescind their licenses" (Xiaofeng & Qian, 2008). In addition to laws specifically addressing child labor, China has a compulsory education law, which requires each child in China to attend nine years of school, which should prevent many young children from being able to enter into the workforce…… [Read More]

Current Situation of Children and Child Labor in Liberia and Sierra Leone

Children and Child Labor in Liberia and Sierra Leone

Two of the world's most beautiful countries are also, unfortunately, the poorest as well. The nations of Liberia and Sierra Leone are faced with a number of severe obstacles in their quest to join the international community and diversify their stagnated and monolithic economies; while much remains to be done, some progress has been made. In this regard, a brief overview of each country is followed by a discussion of these challenges as they directly affect the children of these two countries; a summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.

Liberia.

General Economic and Political Situation. A costly and bloody civil war and government malfeasance have adversely affected much of Liberia's economy, particularly the infrastructure in and around Monrovia, the capital; in addition, continued international sanctions on diamonds and timber exports will constrain the growth of these major industries in the near-term.

Further, a number of businessmen have emigrated, taking scarce capital and expertise with them in the process; while some of these individuals have returned, it is expected that many more will not. While the nation enjoys abundant supplies of water, mineral resources, forests, and a favorable climate,…… [Read More]

Education Addams Jane 1994 Child Labor Legislation

Education

Addams, Jane. (1994). Child Labor Legislation -- A Requisite for Industrial Efficiency. In On Education (pp. 124-135). New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.

Famous education reformer Jane Addams expresses her different views on a liberal and decentralized American education during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. In this particular essay, Addams criticizes the U.S. government for encouraging children at young ages to work for factories and manufacturing companies instead of studying in school. In presenting her argument, Addams places emphasis on the importance of education, not overproduction, as a prerequisite to an industrially successful society. Addams' essay offers a critical view of capitalism and American governance and legislation as focusing on economic gains rather than giving attention to human development resulting to a developed American society.

____. (1994). The Public School and the Immigrant Child. In On Education (pp. 136-142). New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.

In the same book source, another essay that contributed to changes in the American educational system during the 19th-20th centuries was Jane Addams' discourse on the effects of education on the immigrant child and his/her family. Addams studies the gradual disconnection of immigrant children to their family as they become more aware of their differences (the…… [Read More]

Child Labour Child Labor Is

However, by comparison, children in America have much better conditions that children in Africa who rarely receive payment for their services and most often they are deprived of any schooling activity or leisure time (Child Labor: when it is right/wrong?, n.d.).

The actors involved in the process of child labor include the states which allow this, most of them being African and Asian states, as well as the international organizations which try to deal with the issues arising from child labor. In terms of solutions, these are strictly related to the actors involved. Therefore, the states where such activities are practiced must take into account the legal means to regulate them to such an extent as to not pose a threat to the lives and futures of children. On the other hand, international organizations must work closely to establish a certain legal framework above the national legal standards which would ensure the respect for the right of the child to benefit from a proper education, possibilities for the future, as well as a basic standard of life. These cannot be achieved without a thorough and coordinated action at the international level.

Overall, the issue of child labor is nowadays a…… [Read More]

Child Labor in Istanbul Turkey

Istanbul's native born has made little or not contribution to the population growth due to its near or below-replacement levels of reproduction (Population pp).

Child prostitution is a world wide urban social phenomenon and is considered one of the worst contemporary forms of slavery (Kantay Pp). Moreover, child prostitution is one of the most difficult and dangerous forms of child labor (Kuntay Pp).

Due to the invisibility of the children involved, they are at the greatest risk of exploitation and are subjected to harassment, violent attacks and are vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV infection (Kuntay Pp). Although child prostitution is a legal violation in Turkey, it is almost epidemic in large metropolitan areas such as Istanbul (Kuntay Pp). Moreover, it is difficult to late these girls because they are very mobile, wandering from one customer and location to another (Kuntay Pp).

The need to supplement household income was listed as the number one reason for female children in urban areas such as Istanbul, while males listed this as the fourth factor for working (Reasons pp). Furthermore, a smaller number of female children in urban areas are found to be keeping their incomes, 9.7%, compared to 12% of…… [Read More]

Enforcement of International Child Labor

"

Thus China must be held accountable by the international community and awareness brought to modern Chinese parents about the dangers of child labor. Consumerism is no excuse for allowing child labor in any context.… [Read More]

Labor Issues Around the World

Many Chinese workers, including children, are forced to work in poor conditions (Ka Wai, 2004). Many workers are working in the town ship and village factories. According to a government report in 1984, the majority of township and village enterprises in China have at least one major problem that causes occupational disease. Many factory workers are working in dangerous conditions, in which poisonous chemicals, dust, and noise are predominant. As a result, many workers suffer from a variety of preventable health conditions.

Companies like Nike and Reebok often subcontract factories in poor countries because they do not have to deal with production. By distancing themselves through subcontracting, benefiting from low production costs without having to take responsibility, they make huge profits.

In Indonesia, United States sportswear company Nike is often at the center of labor concerns (CNN, 2001). Workers at nine Indonesian factories under contract by Nike say they have suffered or have witnessed sexual and verbal abuse. Laborers also reported that they were asked to work "illegal forms of overtime." Many were denied both sick leave and annual leave.

The Global Alliance, an international coalition dedicated to improving the lives of factory workers, interviewed more than 4,000 workers at…… [Read More]

Labor Issue of Children

Child Labor

The prevailing child labor practices in the world not only jeopardize the childhood of the children but also adversely effects their cognitive, physical, mental, behavioral and social aspects of life. The child labor practices are followed due to the rate of increased poverty and cultural beliefs which enforces the children to contribute in the house hold income. The lawsuits against the child labor exist but are not applied to the fullest due to the poverty rate and lack of educational and institutional services for the under privileged children. Therefore, the awareness among the parents and adults should be increased about the hazards of child labor on the life of children and families should be provided with adequate support to refrain their dependency on the earnings of their children.

Contents

Child Labor

Causes of Child Labor

Child Labor Statistics

Law Suits against Child Labor

Steps to Eradicate Child Labor

Conclusion

REFERENCES

APPENDIX 1

Appendix -- 1 1

Appendix -- 2 1

Appendix -- 3 1

Child Labor

Children are the future and their healthy childhood not only develops cognitive ability but it also ensures that the child is being developed in the most appropriate manner with respect to the…… [Read More]

Labor Weak Protections Under U S Law Allow

Labor

"Weak protections under U.S. law allow children as young as 12 to work unlimited hours outside of school on tobacco farms of any size, and there is no minimum age for children to work on small farms. Despite the known risks of nicotine poisoning, there are no special provisions in U.S. laws or regulations to protect children from the unique hazards of tobacco work."

I was aware that there were a few exceptions to child labor laws on family farms. This alone is a sensitive issue given the potential for injury with lifelong consequences, along with the conscription of children into farming labor that may detract from their ability to pursue other careers. Yet until reading this passage, I had no idea that child labor was still permitted in a larger context in the United States, especially in large farm contexts. When it comes to exposure to pesticides, dangerous machinery and other hazards of the farming industry, it does not seem humane to employ children. This article, and this passage, reveals the need to tighten loopholes related to child labor in the United States.

The passage does admit that United States labor laws are "weak" with regards to children…… [Read More]

Labor Markets and Their Many Aspects

Labor Markets and Their Many Aspects

The negative aspects of a loosely-regulated labor market:

The dangers of under-regulation

The labor laws of the state of Pennsylvania are still highly influenced by the unionization movement that began in the steel mills of the state. It is said that "no state in America has a richer labor history than Pennsylvania" (Pennsylvania labor history, 2011, IAP). The AFL and CIO were founded in the state. "The 1877 railroad strike, the 1892 battle of Homestead, and the 1919 steel strike" are all nationally famous incidents that were highly influential upon the development of the modern labor movement and remain potent, collective state memories (Pennsylvania labor history, 2011, IAP). However, "the struggle against child labor, sweatshops and oppressive working conditions unfortunately continue today in the global economy. Workers' rights to form unions and collectively bargain, to have a safe and healthful workplace, and to have health care and secure pensions are still contested in this country and around the world" (Pennsylvania labor history, 2011, IAP). While Pennsylvania's laws are more protective of workers than federal labor laws and laws in many states of the union, it is far from exempt from many of the negative…… [Read More]

Child Sex Tourism Consent in Human Trafficking

Child Sex Tourism

Consent in human trafficking

Child prostitution

Bias in the application of police discretion

Failure to identify the victim in human trafficking

Push and Pull Factors

What theories explain trafficking in India

Measures to control

Prevention measures

Investigations / Prosecutions

India is regarded as the one of the source, transit, and a destination country for the bonded labor and child sex trafficking. The ranking of the country has been Tier 2 W. since 2005 and stayed constant until the 2010. In the year 2011 and 2012 the ranking is Tier 2. The ranking system reflects the compliance ranking of the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA) standards in the country. The tier one reflects complete compliance with the standards. However the tier two is regarding the countries that are not complying completely with the TVPA but making significant progress in terms of their implementation. The tier 2 W. denoted that the country is not completely complying with the Act however making a significant progress and is one the watch list for compliance with the absolute number of victims. There is a failure to provide evidence for increasing efforts in combating the sever forms of trafficking. The determination that the…… [Read More]

Child Trafficking

Child Trafficking

Slave labor and child trafficking are commonplace in cocoa industry in the Ivory Coast, and the makers of the documentary The Dark Side of Chocolate (2010) found them working as slaves everywhere on the cocoa plantations there. Even though the largest chocolate companies in the world, including Nestle, Archer Daniels and Cargill signed a protocol with the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2001 that mandated the end of child labor and trafficking by 2008, this has not occurred. Nestle and these other giant multinational corporations denied any knowledge of these practices or any control over slave labor on these Ivory Coast plantations, but they did not wish t see the evidence in the film. Interpol knew about these practices because it has railed the plantations and rescued dozens of children from slavery, even though the government of the Ivory Coast and the cocoa exporters denied that child trafficking was occurring. Altogether, this film revealed a general indifference and callousness at high levels of governments and corporations to the fact that much of the world's chocolate is produced by child slaves, and even the ILO often felt helpless in attempting to deal with this problem. It is not a…… [Read More]

Children's Literature

Children's Literature

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." This adage takes on various meanings according to context -- in the early twenty-first century, it will most likely be used to imply too much seriousness about schoolwork. But in the consideration of children's literature in the nineteenth century, we face the prospect of a society where child labor was actually a fact of life. We are familiar with the stereotypes that still linger on in the collective imagination, of young boys forced to work as chimney-sweeps or girls forced to labor in textile factories. But the simple fact is that between the present day and the emergence of children's literature as a category of its own, largely during the nineteenth century, there has been a widespread reform in labor practices and social mores which has altered the meaning of what "work" might mean for young Jack, or indeed Jill. An examination of how the concept of "work" is constructed within Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women can give us some sense of how work and play were complicated by issues of economics, including gender and slavery.

One of the most famous…… [Read More]

Labor Relations Have Changed Tremendously

The open and free market economies proved successful from a management perspective, and government supported the primacy of the profit motive.

The consequences of these fluctuations has been a system that favors management in the United States. Labor unions have been systematically ridiculed socially, lumped together with communism and therefore derided by the American public. Similarly, labor unions have lost their political clout to a certain degree, and management has secured political power over laborers. Wages have remained deplorably low, so low that income disparity in the United States resembles that of Third World nations. Income disparity in the United States is the steepest of any other industrialized nation. Countries with strong labor laws such as the nations of northern Europe tend to be more egalitarian societies with fewer class distinctions and less of a wealth gap. The American model allows unbridled business growth at the expense of social justice.… [Read More]

Child Soldiers

Child Soldiers

"The question of children and armed conflict is an integral part of the United Nations' core responsibilities for the maintenance of international peace and security, for the advancement of human rights and for sustainable human development."

Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a speech to the Security Council, 26 July 2000

In every part of the world, children more particularly from underdeveloped or developing countries are selected and recruited by various groups, for instance the armed forces, terrorist groups and opposition groups at war; these recruited children are then trained to become fighters and exploited enough to become commandoes. Children posses a vulnerable personality, hence they can be easily molded and manipulated into committing serious crimes for instance atrocious crimes like rape and murder of innocent civilians, they carry around rifles such as AK-47's and G4's as if they were born with it. To test their loyalty with their group they are sometimes even forced to injure or kill their own family members or friends. Those who are spared a less tragic fate are chosen to serve as sex slaves, cooks, porters, guards and spies (Baker.1999).

According to various human research reports, 250,000 children, most of them under the age…… [Read More]

Labor and Union Studies the

The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the nations' first major rail strike and witnessed the first general strikes in the country's history. The strikes and the violence it brought about temporarily paralyzed the country's commerce and led governors in ten states to mobilize sixty thousand militia members to reopen rail traffic. The strike would be broken within a few weeks, but it also helped set the stage for later violence in the 1880's and 1890's, including the Haymarket Square bombing in Chicago in 1886, the Homestead Steel Strike near Pittsburgh in 1892, and the Pullman Strike in 1894 (1877: The Great Railroad Strike, 2006).

There have been many protests in American history against corporations, industrialists, bankers, Wall Street and the economic devastation their unregulated activities including the 19th-century labor movement that featured thousands of strikes and protests. The current protest that can be compared to that of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 is Occupy Wall Street (Mullen, 2011). It never amazes to see how history always repeats itself.

While police and troops made those late 19th century strikes as violent as Occupy Wall Street protests have been peaceful, the two sets of events are inextricably bound by the…… [Read More]

Child Abuse in the United

Most abuse is committed by parents, but stepparents also commit abuse, and this is another social factor that can lead to child abuse. Many sociologists believe that stepparents have less of a bond with stepchildren than their own children, and they may be led to abuse their stepchildren while they do not abuse their own children (Wilson & Daly, 1987, p. 217-220).

The Religious Theory

The religious theory of social cause cites control as a large cause of child abuse. From a very young age, the child is controlled by both the parents and the religious order. One sociological expert notes, "Believing parents do not merely indoctrinate their children on the virtues of their own religion. They warn their young against embracing other religions, against following their customs and beliefs" (Innaiah, 2003). Thus, children attend church from a very young age, and are controlled by their parents to attend church, believe in certain values and customs, and that anything else is wrong. Writer Innaiah cites several forms of child abuse that can result from religious practices and beliefs. They include: sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Church that has been ignored or downplayed for decades, the condoning of female…… [Read More]

Labor in China as it

While cases such as that of Kukdong graphically illustrate the importance of CSR and codes of conduct, anti-sweatshop activists continue to display considerable hesitation and equivocation as they wrestle with implementing CSR in China. In the words of the late activist Trim Bissell of the Campaign for Labor Rights, China has become a "planetary black hole" attracting global production with its cheap labor, but "the anti-sweatshop movement has been without a China strategy."9For example, in January 2000, the University of California (UC) announced that it would not allow any university-licensed products to be produced in countries that do no tallow freedom of association and collective bargaining, in effect banning products made in China (China and the American Anti-Sweatshop Movement (http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:MfmUl9ll5pwJ:laborcenter.berkeley.edu/globaleconomy/china_american.pdf+china+sweatshops+unions&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=9&ie=UTF-8)."

Efforts are underway to accomplish several things when it comes to China's sweatshops. The first thing that the union and labor leaders are demanding is that the world pay closer attention to the attitudes and treatments of the companies that own the sweatshops.

This is important if the worldwide human rights activists want the workers in China's sweatshops to rise up and demand change those workers have to be comfortable that there will be at least a minimum standard of…… [Read More]

Labor Union Giving an Overview

The procedures, rules and regulations for creating the unions are varying in different parts of the world. Moreover, those labors are not accustomed to the working conditions, rules and regulations and provide less desirable attributes for labor works. Hill (2007) also explained with extensive research statistics for the establishment of union programs in different regions such as Mexico.Despite rules and regulations, the labors are forced to work as salves. They are not given the complete incentives that their job description offers. With this in mind, the labor unions continue to present an idea on its rapid growth so that labors can be given their rights with freedoms. According to Hill (2007), labor unions though provide some solutions for immigrant labors however; effective programs and measures are working towards the change that is needed by these unions (Hill, 2007). The formation of labor unions can be useful to control the illegal immigrations and to address the problem of short supply of workers in many areas such as hospitals, restaurants, hotels etc. However, on the other hand it is also essential that the problems of labor unions in this regard should be addressed seriously.

It is commonly considered that the youth of…… [Read More]

Child Support Laws History of

The state parent locator service lessens the delay of collection of child support. The child support enforcement agencies in most states have the authority to order genetic testing in order to establish the parentage in cases of paternity. Child support payments can be ordered once the parent is found. Withholding of wages and seizure and sales of properties may be used to enforce child support.

Cash Assistance Programs:

Under the Title IV-a, Assistance for Families with Dependant Children (AFDC), cash assistant or welfare of these families was managed at State level. President Gerald Ford signed into law the Title IV-D of the Social Security Act on January 4, 1975 which created a state-federal child support enforcement program (Morgan par, 2). Through the enforcement of child support, the program had two goals i.e. cost avoidance (helping families on welfare leave the assistance roll while those not on the assistance rolls avoid turning to it) and cost recovery (recover the costs of public assistance paid to families both for the state and federal governments).

With the intention of the Title IV-D program being to reduce expenses for public assistance, an applicant and recipient of cash assistance were to co-operate with the State…… [Read More]

Labor Relations What Do You Believe Are

Labor Relations

What do you believe are the benefits to being an employee of a company vs. A contractor? Which would you prefer to be? Why?

The benefits of being an employee include the right to self-organization, to bargain collectively, or form a labor organization (Carrell & Heavrin, 2007). Employees have pre-determined work days and duties under the leadership and direction of the employer and are not required to incur costs or make investments in the work they produce. Typically, only general education and experience is required, with some employers paying for additional training and specializations. All income, Social Security and Medicare taxes that fall under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) are handled by the employer (Strawson, 2003) For most employees, there are also employer contributions made to pensions and other retirement plans, health and disability insurance for self and family members, and unemployment compensation after a lay off or termination. Worker's compensation is available in the event of a workplace injury and employees have the protection of workplace safety and anti-discrimination laws. There are also federal and state wage and hour laws.

An independent contractor sells professional services to the highest bidder. He or she has the flexibility…… [Read More]

Child Sex Trafficking Problem

Child Sex Trafficking:

Sex trafficking is basically defined as the enlisting, harboring, provision, moving, or acquisition of an individual for the main goal of a commercial sex act. In this case, an individual who has not attained 18 years old is forced or coerced to perform sexual acts. Generally, a person is forced or coerced for the purpose of debt bondage, involuntary servitude, or slavery. In the past few years, child sex trafficking has become a major epidemic not only in the United States but also across the world. While many people know the issue of child sex trafficking, they are not aware of the extent of uncontrolled exploitation of children and its impact. Given the severity of the impact of child sex trafficking, it is increasingly important to understand this crime and develop appropriate policy measures to reduce its prevalence.

The Problem of Child Trafficking:

As previously mentioned, child sex trafficking is defined as recruitment, movement, provision, or obtaining of an individual who has not attained 18 years old and coercing or forcing him/her to perform sexual acts ("What is Sex Trafficking?" n.d.). This crime has become an ever-growing epidemic across the globe even though many people may have…… [Read More]

Labor Organizations Discuss the Similarities and Differences

Labor Organizations

Discuss the similarities and differences between at least three labor organizations discussed in Chapter 3.

The Knights of Labor was a standard labor union comprised of individual workers across the nation. They were inclusive in terms, employing both skilled workers in crafts industries as well as unskilled laborers such as coalminers. (Rayback, 1966, p. 168). They had limited political objectives such as the eight-hour workday and the prohibition of child and convict labor. Their broader objectives were social: to improve the image and social status of the working man.

The AFL was not a labor organization, but a federation of affiliated labor unions. (Dubofsky & Foster, 2004, p. 138). The AFL was exclusive, accepting skilled workers in crafts industries and skilled workers in industry. The AFL's goals were economic, they provided financial and political support for affiliated labor unions in contract negotiations with employers. (Dubofsky & Foster, 2004, p. 139). The political objectives they did pursue usually had to do with the nature of labor negotiations.

The IWW was neither a traditional labor union or a federation of labor unions, but a labor union comprised with many members of other labor organizations. (Dubofsky & Foster, 2004, p. 195).…… [Read More]

Children Should Be Required to Read More

Children Should Be Required to Read More

Almost all the parents want their child to be intelligent. Every parent yearns for their child to be well-groomed, brilliant and smart. This is why parents spend a lot of their time in trying to search for the best schools for their children and expect the teachers to be exceptionally outstanding. However, they forget the fact that their own attitudes and habits have a great effect on the personality of a child. Thus, the parents must realize that by making books an essential part of their children's lives, they can heighten the wisdom and learning potential of their child more than a school teacher can help to increase ("Early Moments sharing the gift of reading").

It is not by an accident, brainwave, infection or encouragement that children learn to read. They learn to read when they are taught to do so. Reading cannot be explained as a phenomenon that occurs naturally. Children learn to read independently by attaining component skills little by little. The love for reading in a child only develops when the home environment emphasizes on reading for pleasure. As said before, children cannot be forced or encouraged to read. It…… [Read More]

Labor the Department of Labor Is Present

Labor

The Department of Labor is present today to promote, foster and develop the welfare of the employees or the labor force in the United States. The labor system focuses on the improvement of the working conditions and the fulfillment of opportunities for more profitable employment. As it would be known, rules and regulations are there to keep things in order. Similarly, the Labor system in the country is guided by laws that guarantee the rights and privileges of the labor force of the country.

The Department of Labor has made laws concerning working conditions, minimum hourly wage, and freedom from employment discrimination, worker's compensation and unemployment insurance. The labor system also aids in job training programs and it helps workers find jobs. Everyone needs a decent source of income and if a person has some sort of skill or talent, they should definitely make use of it.

The basic feature of the labor system is to ensure that jobs are equally spread out through the country. The labor system therefore petitions the government for channeling more of the federal budget towards the production of labor. Therefore, jobs are created either in government offices, through construction or through small business.…… [Read More]

Child Case Study The Story

In relationship of his reading comprehension -- Manuel knows how to read at grade level. He really does get the plain indication and can figure out the connotation of a lot of words in the course of context clues. He can effortlessly recapitulate what he has just read and grabbed some of the main ideas as well as extrapolations. His writing needs a lot of work. A lot of the time he leaves out things like prepositions and over uses the imperative regarding creating the words so that they could be plural. For instance -- take the word "children." Manuel will normally just adds an "s" on it so that it can be plural. During other times he does not make certain terms plural. Homonyms are a big issue for Manuel. His language appears to emphasis needs to be on structuring a basis of appropriate sentence structure and sentence syntax. Regrettably for Manuel the existing tendency in the New York City School system is to be able to get students to enthrall grammar by means of content learning instead of repetition conjugation and maneuvers. I really believe that there is something that can said for both. My view is that…… [Read More]

Labor Economics -- the Ripple

That is, if the foreclosure is the only black mark on a person's credit rating, that credit card holder may be able to "rehabilitate their record and garner better loans and card rates in 24 months," Ulzheimer goes on, attempting to clear the air in a very cloudy, confusing and even toxic credit card dynamic.

The third consequence of foreclosure, according to Melia's narrative, is the struggle waiting for those wishing to buy another home. Fannie Mae, for example, relates the bleak realities for those who have foreclosed their homes and who hope to purchase another one. For those borrowers who "have made reckless debt decisions," they can't get a new mortgage for a new home until 5 years has passed. It was 4 years previously but in this time of economic recession, money is tight so if the investigation into a person's credit shows Fannie Mae that "reckless" financing decisions were made (that led to the foreclosure) that person must wait the extra year (www.bankrate.com). However, if the applicant can explain to the lender that he or she was foreclosed due to "situations beyond someone's control" -- "like a job loss" -- then only 3 years must pass prior…… [Read More]

Laboring Women Jennifer L Morgan's

It would be difficult as a women to try and understand exactly what these women had to live through (in the name of commerce and production), but Morgan is sensitive while making her points, which has to be admired.

Of particular interest in this book is the whole talk of "creolization" -- a term not often heard. Essentially, Morgan discusses creolization and how this event is directly associated with reproduction. The entire Creole history, she claims, required black women's giving birth to these children. This is an area of history that perhaps isn't written about or talked about enough.

Perhaps one of the most original and interesting parts of Morgan's book is that she begins with the women in Africa and she follows them through the Middle Passage and then into America and thus the reader is able to get a real sense of the journal and the cultural differences that the women endured. Often in history books we fail to consider exactly where slaves came from, their journey and what they endured on the journey. It is easy to suddenly imagine these slaves plunked down somewhere without considering where they came from. Morgan does something different in this book…… [Read More]

Labor and Employment Law

Labor and Employment Law

WORKPLACE SITUATIONS

Situation A -- The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 or FMLA was enacted to help employees balance family and work requirements (WHD, 2013). It aims at protecting and helping those with family or personal health problems. The rise in single-parent households and women employees often leads them to compromise work for family or vice versa. The law intends to strike a balance between. If an employer is connected to FMLA, an employee who has worked for one year or 1,250 hours in the preceding year is entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave within the 12-month period. The employer is qualified to offer FMLA if it has 50 or more employees. Employee A and his employer are, thus, qualified (WHD).

The qualified employer is obliged by law to grant FMLA leave when the qualified employee requests it with a qualified reason (WHD, 2013). If Employee A does not accrued leave, he can use his FMLA leave as unpaid time. If he has accrued leave, he may use it or his employer may require him to use it. Using his paid leave will decrease his allotment under FMLA days. If he exhausts his paid…… [Read More]

Labor and the Industrial Revolution

Other employment prospects in fields such as petty trading, retailing, transportation and domestic service also developed simultaneously in urban areas. In the nineteenth century, when the industrial working class became much larger and more important in the social structure they begin to assert themselves socially, politically and economically, evolving into the social order we see today.

Growth of Cities

According to Jeffery G. Williamson (1990) Britain grew at an unusually rapid growth rate during the first part of the nineteenth century. Census data of the period indicates that some nineteenth-century cities grew at rates "that would bring cold sweat to the brow of twentieth-century housing committees" (p.2). Glasgow grew at 3.2% annum in 1830's, Manchester and Salford at 3.9% in the 1820's; Bradford at 5.9% in the 1830s, and Dukinfield nearly tripled in size the 1820's. These were the fast-growing cities and towns in the industrializing north.

The British population increased about 15% every decade during the eighteenth century creating a demand for goods and a population to support the corresponding need for labor. The living conditions these people faced in their new environment were often miserable. They faced long hours of labor every day in crowded factories. Poor sewage…… [Read More]

Labor Economic

Labor Economics

Labor is a commodity that needs to be purchased for business activity. In the uncivilized world of the past labor could be exploited to the extreme, but in modern times trade union movement, increased public consciousness, health, safety and environmental regulations and labor regulations have meant that the near slavery condition of the past are totally unacceptable.

Nevertheless, labor remains a commodity requiring efficient, humane and cost effective management to increase profitability and balance human rights and investors' interests. This effort has resulted in labor economics developing as a branch of microeconomics. This paper reviews labor economics and its importance in the modern day economic and business activities.

Outline

Abstract

Introduction

Important Components of Labor Economics

Labor Supply and Demand

Quality of Labor (Investments in Human Capital)

Wages

Non-Wage Labor Costs

Wage Differentials

Workers Mobility

Pay & Productivity

8. Economics of Discrimination

9. Social Accountability

10. Trade Unions

Conclusions… [Read More]

Labor Law Mine Safety and Health Act

Labor Law: Mine Safety and Health Act

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act passed in 1969 and were last substantially amended in 1977. There has been just one amendment to the Act since 1977; that was a penalty increase in 1990 enacted not for safety and health policy reasons, but to raise revenue for the federal government.

The Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, and the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, have been among the most successful laws that the Congress has every enacted. It provides for a comprehensive approach to mine safety and health combining enforcement with education and training as well as a wide range of cooperative efforts to promote safety and health throughout the mining industry. Total mine fatalities in the decade before enactment of the 1977 law ranged from 435 to 254. In the 1990's, annual deaths in mining have ranged from 112 to 80.The American mining industry today is the world leader in safety and health. This is a significant accomplishment for which industry, labor, and government all deserve credit (Ruffennach C. Gregory, Saving Lives or Wasting Resources? The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act)

But while the Mine Act…… [Read More]

Children and the Revolution A

She found that this was true, even when a plan was developed for the division of labor so that it was distributed more evenly between both partners. Gjerdingen's study used a time study analysis similar to that used by Craig. Gjerdingen discussed the possibility that cultural differences could have influenced the results. Cultural differences might have influenced Craig's study in a similar manner, but this factor was not mentioned as a potential limitation of the study either.

New Zealand study supports the potential for cultural bias regarding work related gender differences. Else (1997) addressed the same division of labor issue in New Zealand. They found that the gendered division of labor was prevalent in New Zealand society, with the women's work outside of the home having less importance than the men's as far as "breadwinning" is concerned. Else's study found that men's transfer of "household" wages is still considered payment for women's "unpaid" care giving work.

Else's study supports Craig's study in an obscure way. Craig did not address attitudes towards working outside of the home, only the number of hours spent. Else's study found that traditional gender roles were still valid during the time of the sampling of Craig's…… [Read More]

Labor and the American Economy

This implies that an increase in the wage of one member of the household gives rise not only to changed incentives for work on the market, but also to a shift from more to less time-intensive product on and consumption of goods produced by the household. But as noted by the Nobel-prize winning 20th century University of Chicago economist Gary Becker, as real wages increase, along with the possibilities of substituting capital for labor in housework, labor is released in the household, so that it becomes more and more uneconomical to let one member of the household specialize wholly in household production (for instance, child care). As a result, some of the family's previous social and economic functions are shifted to other institutions such as firms, schools and other public agencies. This creates more jobs, but also means that more luxury jobs may become necessities, such as maids. (Gary Becker, Nobel Prize, 2004)… [Read More]

Children's Literature the Young Adult

Thus, the key to Esperanza's successful "rising" are the presence of strong adults that surround her in her life. From these positive adult role models, Esperanza is able to learn about her own strengths and discover that she is able to make it on her own and not be dependent on adults. For example, although her father is long dead, it is his ongoing advice that helps Esperanza deal with and, more importantly, overcome current dilemmas. Take for example a point where Esperanza is working her first independent job as a babysitter. Here, when things do not go right an she finds herself facing anguish and despair and about to give up, she hears the voice of her father who reminds her to, "wait a little while and the fruit will fall into your hand." Following her father's advice, things do turn around and Esperanza begins to succeed creating her own life of wealth- both in terms of family, friends and money.

The story of Esperanza Rising is a coming of age story that includes a cultural aspect with important parallels for today. At its core is the central theme that no one can succeed on their own and are…… [Read More]

Global Labor Standards Labor Standards

However, when child labor is burnt the entire economy may be deflected towards another equilibrium that may not be inferior to the first equilibrium (Basu, 2003). The global labor standards should therefore not ban child labor whenever it is deemed to be happening but ensure that conditions for banning child labor are compatible with adherence to the Pareto principle.

It is a fact that certain contracts, unanimously accepted by both sides, can lead to Pareto improvement. Nevertheless, if the contracts were to be allowed and used by the masses, there would be significant changes in market parameters that would leave some people worse off. Global labor standards should use the large numbers principle to justify banning of certain kinds of contracts like unjust labor practices.

In as much as the international labor organizations would want to use the above named principles to check against unjust labor laws a lot of care has to be taken to guard against the risk of using these principles as alibi to intervene whenever they feel so. Discretion has to be sought when any intervention is to be executed. Theory has to be supported by empirical evidence that a given intervention satisfies the spelt out…… [Read More]

Juveniles Since Biblical Times Children Have Been

Juveniles

Since biblical times, children have been mentioned and admonished about social transgressions. The first man and woman, according to the Christian Holy Bible suggest that Adam and Eve, both children of God, were in trouble from the outset; the consequences were dire with no "out" such as rehabilitation. Today, of course, we see that rehabilitation is the primary focus for children's behaviors. Further, social attitudes toward children differ around the world in various cultures. These attitudes have changed over time, of course. The purpose of this paper is to detail differences in perception of children throughout history, with a particular emphasis in the periods between 1824-1960 and, in contrast the "modern" period after 1960.

The age at which children are considered responsible for their own actions (e.g., marriage, voting, etc.) has also changed over time, and this is reflected in the way they are treated in courts of law. In Roman times, children were regarded as not culpable for crimes, a position later adopted by the Church. In the nineteenth century, children younger than seven years old were believed incapable of crime. Children from the age of seven forward were considered responsible for their actions. Therefore, they could face…… [Read More]

American Labor Movement History of Labor Movement

American Labor Movement

The "labor question," its origins, components, and whether or not it is still relevant.

The "labor question" is the foundation of the American Labor Movement. Drawing from our classwork and paraphrasing Rosanne Currarino's modern restatement of the "labor question(s)": "What should constitute full participation in American society? What standard of living should citizens expect and demand?" (Currarino 112). Concerned with the ideal of an industrial democracy, including a more equitable society with social and financial betterment of working class people, the "labor question" arose during and in response to America's 19th Century (Second) Industrial Revolution. America's Industrial Revolution occurred within the "Gilded Age," named by Mark Twain (Mintz), and lasting roughly from the end of the U.S. Civil War until the beginning of World War I (D.C. Shouter and RAKEN Services). Fueled in part by refined coal and steam power, the American Industrial Revolution transformed America from an agrarian society to an industrialized society and gave rise to significantly wealthy railroad barons such as Jay Gould, banking princes such as Jay Cooke, oil kings such as John D. Rockefeller and industrial tycoons such as Andrew Carnegie (D.C. Shouter and RAKEN Services).

While the Industrial Revolution created enormous…… [Read More]

Maritime Labor Convention Many Seafarers Ply Across

Maritime Labor Convention

Many seafarers ply across waters distant miles away from their homes. The categories of people in the maritime transport include the seafarers and ship owners. These people are often from different nationalities as ships operate under different flags, from their origin to other countries. The seafarers often face difficult conditions of working from their occupational risks. The fact that they work far from homes exposes them to challenges such as exploitation, abuse, non-paid wages, and non-compliance to the contracts, poor diet, poor living conditions and sometimes abandonment in foreign ports. This necessitated the industry to contract laws and expectations governing the industry. This is what constitutes the Maritime Labor Convention 2006. These set out the expected conditions of working, to grow the maritime standards into globalized standards. The STCW is among the security and quality management bodies of ships.

The maritime labor convention

The Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) drives the principles of international maritime organization ensuring safety and quality of working standards in the industry. It facilitates the means of enforcing the standards through a clear system of certification and inspection from the flag state and port authorities (The Maritime Labor Convention, 2006). The MLC covers various…… [Read More]

Current State of Labor Movements

labor movement in the United States started due to the need for protecting the common interest of workers. For those in the industrial sector, the labor unions normally fought for various things including reasonable working hours, better wages and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts in stopping child labor, providing aid to workers that were injured or retired and even giving health benefits to them. The origins of this labor movement lay in the formative years of the American nation when there was the emergence of a free wage labor market in the artisan trades during the late colonial period. The earliest documented strike took place in 1768 when the New York journeymen tailors expressed their dissatisfaction with the wage reduction.in 1794 the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers in Philadelphia was formed which marked the beginning of sustained trade union organization among the workers in America ( A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2014). From then hence forth there was proliferation of local craft unions in cities that went ahead to publish lists of "prices" for their work, the defense against diluted and cheap labor and increasingly demanding for short working days. This led to the emergence of a job-conscious…… [Read More]