Reference no: EM133297326
Case Study: watch this sobering documentary addressing the ethics of free market capitalism and answer the following questions. Keep track of meaningful statistics. Keep in mind the concepts of ethical imperialism and cultural relativism and provide examples for these.
The True Cost:
Identify the shift in fashion.
Explain deflationary pricing. What has been the impact?
Describe "Fast Fashion"
Describe the cost of going cheaper, on factory owners, workers of the industry, and people and cities, such as Dhaka.
Why is the fashion industry so ready to ignore these events?
What is a sweatshop and why are they prevalent?
How do the guest analysts address the issue?
How is People Tree different, within the fashion industry? In your mind, is it sustainable as a business model? Explain.
What is the response to unions in developing countries?
How has cotton become a battleground in the fast fashion industry?
What impact has Monsanto( a North American giant) had on the small farmers, and the cotton industry in developing countries ?
Explain the psychological and social implications of consumptionism and how Fast fashion feeds into this in western society.
Describe the impact of "excess" clothing being donated to other countries.
What is the approach of Patagonia?
"You, the customer, are in charge". What does this mean? Agree or not?
We lose sight of the most important and "true"costs associated with fashion production? Describe these as outlined or perceived in your viewing of this film.
H&M exec of Sustainability says their goal is to pay a wage that covers the "basic needs" of the workers. What does that mean, in your mind? Is that fair enough?
When companies put profit first, they...?
Considering the definition of the following two terms as depicted in the film, capitalism and globalization, do you believe Freidman would support fast fashion as just groups getting the pie they fairly negotiate and deserve?(Afterall, he suggests that as long as no one has a gun to their head.....)
Task:
Are we "importing" pain and suffering? What is your perspective on the concept of capitalism, as depicted and discussed in this film. Is this a problem of corporate greed and out of control capitalism or, simply, the slow, progressive growth associated with developed countries and companies pouring into underdeveloped nations in an effort to provide these nations and people with a fledgling economic stability and sustainability?
As a consumer and benefactor of free trade, consumer capitalism, can you also be a proponent of such human rights causes in under developed or developing nations as depicted in the film? How important is it to you and others, to buy products from socially responsible companies or are such issues as the one depicted in the film too far out of your control? Would you, or the rest of society, be willing to pay more for products made where companies adhere to stricter regulations surrounding worker safety, fair pay, and employee benefits? Why or why not?