This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Esbenshade, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Going Up Against the Global Economy: New Developments in the Anti-Sweatshops Movement

San Diego State University, California, USA, jesbensh{at}mail.sdsu.edu

This article is inspired by Edna Bonacich's theoretical attention to the `big picture,' substantive dissection of the garment industry and ethical call for public sociology. The article focuses on the newest developments in the US anti-sweatshop movement by delineating the progress of two movement organizations: United Students Against Sweatshops and Sweatfree Communities. The article argues that the development of these movements has been toward progressively addressing the underlying causes of sweatshop, causes that are tied into globalization. Most importantly movements have recently begun to specifically challenge the undermining of union strength and the use of vulnerable labor. This progression has shifted the US movement toward action directly supportive of worker empowerment rather than simply improved conditions.

Key Words: anti-sweatshop movement • garment industry • labor • local regulation • unions

Critical Sociology, Vol. 34, No. 3, 453-470 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0896920507088168


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?