| INTRODUCTION | REFERENCE | PERIODICAL ARTICLES | NON-PRINT |
| TOPIC ANALYSIS | BOOKS | INTERNET SOURCES | REVIEW |
"About seventy garment workers were found sewing for some of the nation's
top manufacturers and retailers behind barbed wire with armed guards and the
threat of harm to their lives...they lived in crowded conditions where they
sewed in one room and then slept in another room. They slept crowded with eight
or ten to a bedroom in a small apartment. "
by Julie Su, Asian Pacific American Legal Center
My research project covered sweatshops and there existence mainly in the USA, but also third world countries. The information I found will show organizations and groups that are trying to whipe slave labor out of garment factories. I focused on finding companies that are using sweatshops to there advantages and found companies that are against sweatshops. The Department of Labor is doing a good job at trying to stop this abuse of human rights. But the are only putting a dent in the situation. I found many websites and current periodicals that where very useful in my research. Many websites tell of what we all can do to stop sweatshops, like boycotting, writing congress, and joining campaigns against sweatshops too. But education is the best thing, both educating consumers and kids in third world countries to get them out of the loop of sweatshops.
http://home.sprintmail.com/~jeffnkari/USAS/about.html
This organizations started up because they saw that sweatshops in the garment industry was getting out of hand. This organization is made up of students from Universities. Many Universities have joined this campaign, they are against the exploitation of humans to make profits. The organizations felt to many colleges directly profit from the exploitations of the women and men around the globe who make the clothes that bear their logo. To stop this students began to demand that their universities take responsibility for the conditions under which their licensed apparel is made by adopting Codes of Conduct to regulate the behavior of their manufacturers.
The Campaign for Real, Equitable Economic Development (CREED)
http://home.earthlink.net/~dbwilson/creed.html
A group that is located in New York City. They have numerous events that they attend and rally against sweatshops. They don't have a large page but seems to be a strong force and meet regularly. They are updated with current news and events but are strongly concerned with the happening in New York.
Blood, Sweat, and Shears. Sweatshop Watch. 29 May 2000 <http://www.corpwatch.org/feature/sweatshops/factsheets.html>.
Steneel, Sandra. "Child Labor and Sweatshops." The Congressional Quality
Research Formerly. 3rd ed. Washington D.C.: Congressional Quality.,
1996.
This reference books cover child labor and sweatshop events from 1800-1996. It has background information on Europe and Americas first sweatshops that started during the industrial revolution. Talks of when widespread labor abuse came into light in 1980's, especial in the third world nations. Even covers events in 1996, like several bills that have been introduced into Congress to ban imports of good produced by child labor. I found this reference book at my local library. This article was in a multi volume set.
Blanc, Paul Le. A Short History of the U.S. Working Class. New York: Humanity
Books, 1999.
This book has to do with the history and labor movement of the working class in the United States. It covers the history from beginning of the U.S. to 1997. It has a great deal of information but doesn't go to far in depth on many topics. Tells of the struggle the working class has gone through and what they have done to improve there way of life.
Costello, Lawrence and Feldstein, Stanley. The Ordeal of Assimilation.
New York: Anchor Press, 1974.
Lawrence Costello grew up in the depression and grew up doing a lot of different jobs. In his life he has done a lot of different jobs. This book is mainly a documentary of the white working class. It covers the years of 1820 to 1970's. It has large part on immigrant treatment and what they experienced. Has a good deal on child labor and the conditions they went through.
Abrams, Fran. "Made in Siapan, if only you knew." New Statsman 10 Jan.
2000: 18-20. EBSCO Publishing. EBSCO Industries, Inc. Whatcom Community
College Lib. 6 May 2000. <http://www.epnet.com/ehost/>.
This article had a large deal on the protest at Brown University back in 1999. Talks about what could be done to stop sweatshops and the fight against them has grown. Also about what certain brand names and companies are doing to prevent the use of sweatshops. Has some information about what consumers can do to not get caught up buying sweatshop items.
Bernstein, Aaron. "Sweatshops: No More Excuses." Business Week 8 Nov.
1999: 104-106. EBSCO Publishing. EBSCO Industries, Inc. Whatcom
Community College Lib. 5 May 2000. <http://www.epnet.com/ehost/>.
Goes heavily into reports on name brand companies that are trying to take steps to monitor sweatshop use. Brands are Nike, Reebok, Liz Claiborne. They are looking into ways to do inspections on products to stop the use of sweatshops. Human right and anti-sweatshop groups are trying to get stricter polices though. Useful article in talking about what is currently being done to stop the use of sweatshops around the world.
"The Shame of Sweatshops." Consumer Reports Aug. 1999: 18-21.
EBSCO Publishing. EBSCO Industries, Inc. Whatcom Community College Lib.
5 May 2000. <http://www.epnet.com/ehost/>.
This article talks about the fight against sweatshops and the human effects of globalization. Goes in deep about the sweatshops in Siapan and what is being done to stop them. States the name brands that produce clothing in Siapan such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Gap. This article was useful in the amount of information it had on what could be done to stop sweatshops. All the name brands where interesting too.
"Sweatshops to Body Scans." Economist 29 Jan. 2000: 60-62. EBSCO
Publishing. EBSCO Industries, Inc. Whatcom Community College Lib.
6 May 2000.
Views the United States clothing industries both in the past and mostly present. It covers a lot about trade of goods and ways to protect industries. Also about the World Trade Organization and the effect of our technology with selling and buying of goods.
"Feminists Against Sweatshops." The Feminist Majority Foundation.
29 May 2000 <http://www.feminist.org/other/sweatshops.html>.
This organizations aims strongly toward the cruel conditions woman face in sweatshops. Large page that covers every angle about sweatshops. Even a page that you can send your congress representative a letter telling your feeling about sweatshops and child labor issues. Even a letter to president Clinton urging him and his Apparel Industry Task Force to pass laws for better monitoring and stricter enforcement of current policies on sweatshops. A few links to other organizations and specific campaign groups on sweatshops.
"UNITE: Stop Sweatshops Campaign." Union of Needletrades. 29 May 20
<http://www.uniteunion.org/sweatshops/sweatshop.html>.
An up to date website that covers events around the world that have to do with sweatshops. Many links to other pages and answers frequently asked questions about sweatshops. This campaign site has groups of High School and College students stand up against sweatshops and protesting. Some cities are even in the campaign to stop sweatshops and have city meeting regularly. Also a page that has current sweatshop news.
United States Dept. of Labor. No Sweat: Help End Sweatshop Conditions for
America Workers. 19 May 2000. Department of Labor 4 Jun. 2000.
<http://www2.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/nosweat/nosweat.htm>.
The Department of Labor has put this page together to inform the public. It has information on current situations in the USA about sweatshops. Has links that take you to what president Clinton is doing about sweatshops and child labor. This page also has reports on what is happening to enforce the laws. The Department of Labor has done a good job keeping the page up to date too.
The Internet was by far the best resource. I had a lot of trouble finding books and reference material that was a part of my research direction. Just using sweatshop as a keyword I was always able to get more than enough information on the net. Then once I got to a good site there was links to other useful pages. Then after getting a better idea of my topic I was able to find other keywords and use then also. I use many search engines to find all my research and meta-search engines where very useful tool. On the pages I looked at and periodicals there was little bias, but over all everyone seems to be against sweatshops so there is really only one side of information to be found. The more heated part of sweatshops is what to do with them. Many people have ideas and opinions on what should and should not be done. But overall no one seems to like them besides the people who profit from them.
The Library of Congress heading did aid me in searching for keywords. It showed me what other terms to use to search. It helped me narrow my search down more and get a better idea of what to look for. Before this class I wasn't aware of this information.
The few books and reference material I did find were very useful, but not exactly with the scope of my topic. The books had to do more with the history and past events with sweatshops. I was more concerned with current problems and issues with sweatshops. I wanted to know the companies that use them and number of them in the USA. Most of all I hoping to become more educated with the topic to get more aware of what is going on behind our backs and things the daily TV news doesn't want to talk about.
Please send comments to Kurt Ryan