The Relationship between Globalization and Child Labor - Literature review Example

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLOBALIZATION AND CHILD LABOR NAME COURSE DATE Table of Contents THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLOBALIZATION AND CHILD LABOR 1 Executive summary 4 1.0 Introduction 5 2.0 Literature 6 2.1 Global Issues of Child Labor 6 2.2 Forms of Child Labor 7 2.3 The Relationship between Globalization and Child Labor 7 2.4 Child Labor in India 10 2.4. 1 Child Labor in Various States in India 11 2.5 Consequences of Child Labor 12 2.6 Child Labor in Different Countries 13 3.0 Conclusion 14 Bibliography 16 Executive summary Child labor is a major global problem and it is mainly linked to poverty. Most of the government’s from different countries in the globe have formulated policies since the year 1990 which aim at regulating the levels of child labor. Children below the age of fifteen comprise of more than 3.5% of the total labor force in most of the Asian countries. There are constant efforts to eliminate child labor in these countries. Many organizations that support this elimination include non-governmental and voluntary agencies. The International Labor Organization (ILO) reported that more than 250 million children work in industries, agricultural farms, and mines. This figure is exclusive of the children who work as domestic workers because it is difficult to acquire reliable information from this sector. Child labor is majorly caused by poverty; however there is significant relationship between child labor and globalization. Nevertheless, child labor should not only be perceived to be a product of poverty but also as a major causative of poverty. Countries ought to fight child labor as economic developments are experienced due to globalization. Child labor exist in both the developed and the developing countries, however, the rates are high in the developing countries. 1.0 Introduction Child labor refers to work that deny children their childhood rights, their moral rights and dignity that is vital for their effective physical and emotional development. Child labor is mentally, emotionally, and morally precarious to children. It deprives children the right for education, forcing them to drop out of school or forcing them to merge schooling with work resulting to overwork.1 In majority of the countries sin the globe, child labor is a great challenge. Two years ago, it was reported that over 2 million children were under child labor in the whole globe. Majority of the involved sectors included agriculture, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. It was reported that majority of the children worked in environments that are hazardous to their health. More than 90% of child laborers are in developing countries that include Africa, Asia, and the Northern America. Asia accounts for over 60% of child laborers in the developing countries. Africa accounts for 32% and Southern America accounts for less than 8%. Asia has the highest level of child labor in the globe.2 Some reports argue that there exists a relationship between globalization and child labor n developing countries. This paper seeks to address the relationship between globalization and child labor in developing countries and the developed countries. 2.0 Literature 2.1 Global Issues of Child Labor By the year 1990, it was estimated that that more than 80 million children were involved in child labor and out of this number; more than 55 million children were from Asia. In the past one decade, the number of children laborers reduced significantly in Asia but increased rapidly in Africa and America. Child labor is measured by evaluating economic participation by children below the age of 14 years. Poverty is argued to be the major cause of child labor. Poverty and GDP of a country are significantly related. Poor countries have low GDP per capita incomes. Child labor is however thought to reduce significantly with increase in GDP per capita income. International trade is majorly based on mutual advantage. 3However, trade between the developed and the developing countries is greatly influenced by international standards. Child labor is not easy to eliminate in developing countries. It may seem right to terminate investments of companies that utilize child labor in the developing countries. However, it may have more negative effects that estimated. Majority of children who are involved in child labor come from extremely poor families and the main reasons for work are to provide for their families and for education purposes. 4Elimination theses investments will result to the children engaging in other low income jobs, and prostitution in some instances. There ought to be development of other fruitful methods for elimination of child labor. The UK committee for UNICEF reported that majority of the developing countries’ governments do not have the capability to allocate adequate funds for children education and other vital services. The committee reported that the greatest contributor to this incapability include; debts, expanded military budgets inflicted by International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. According to UNICEF, Somalia and the United States are the only two exceptional countries that have not approved the United Nation’s Convention on the Children rights. The convention is the majorly authorized in most countries in the globe. However, child labor still persists in many countries.5 2.2 Forms of Child Labor With the increased globalization, children find employment in both informal and formal sectors. Child laborers are involved in constructions, domestic work, and in production industries. Agriculture is among the largest sector employing child labor in the globe. Majority of these industries utilize harmful chemicals and majority of children are not enlightened about the dangers of such substances. Such chemicals include; lead manganese, benzene, and insecticides.6 2.3 The Relationship between Globalization and Child Labor There are arguments that globalization results to increased child labor; however, there is no an evocative conclusion in this argument. The proponents have argued that the global free market will lead to a reduction in the demand for child labor due to improved economy resulting from high income and high living standards. The opponents argue that globalization leads to increased child labor due to preference for cheap labor exploitation from the developing countries.7 The relationship between child labor and globalization can be addressed from two perspectives. The main factor is the increase in the GDP per capita income. Through globalization, countries get open to various opportunities through international trade and foreign investments. Increase in the GDP per capita results to increase in the employment opportunities a demand for labor results to child labor. There are arguments that child has reduced with increase in globalization due to the presence of international programs which aim at child labor elimination. Rapid economic growth through globalization will not solve the issue of child labor. Globalization has resulted to economic growth in developing countries; however, due to increased rationalism in policies that do not regulated labor, cruel competition among countries, the elimination of trade unions, ignorance to human and environmental effects, disregard for safety conditions and standards in both developing and the developed countries has favored labor deregulation.8 The laissez-faire perspective which includes ‘race to the bottom’ has resulted to increased slavery, prison labor, and most significantly child labor. Industries employ children because they are paid cheaply. Children know very little about trade unions and do not have the power to demand for the desired working conditions. Child labor will still continue despite the economic growth resulting from globalization and continue to persist. For instance, in the 1990s, various countries such as Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia experienced rapid economic growth; however, child labor increased significantly. Actual development can only be experienced when adults get employed while children attend school. Otherwise, the minority will benefit form child exploitation while the society suffers due to vicious cycles of poverty, underdevelopment, and wastage of precious future resources which is a workforce that is educated and healthy.9 Children are the future citizens of a country. They ought to be provided with adequate education and prevented from situations that will compromise their health. The global economy entails structural modification programs, elimination of trade regulations, and expansion of an informal economy have resulted to increased child labor. An issue that upholds poverty results to increased child labor. A country with financial crisis is usually advised by the International Monetary Funds to endorse export orientation.10 It means the approval of foreign investment through cheap hiring costs with no neither trade unions nor powerful labor laws. Local industries compete in the contracting out; hence, these companies search for cheap labor to be the victor. Modern industrial techniques raise the need for child labor as children are viewed as the most flexible employees. Also, majority of workers who work in free trade zones are young girls. The informal economy has increased rapidly in both the developing and the developing countries. The establishment of minute workshops, casual work, and domestic employment has contributed to the exploitation of children through child labor.11 2.4 Child Labor in India Child labor is estimated to be around 10.4 million but it has slightly reduced in the past decade. Child labor is majorly in the remote regions of India and it is most common in the informal sector. Children are made to work in risky conditions. For instance, in the Indian leather tanning industries, children are made to handle corrosive substances and microbial contaminated hides. In the Firozabad glass making industry, children work under hazardous conditions. Also, children are exploited in domestic employment.12 Children employed in the ornament industries are engraved in chopping wheels and are made to pick glass at melting point by use of iron bars. In the Aga footwear industry, children are made to work in non-ventilated rooms where they inhale glue fumes and other hazardous substances. The carpet knotting industry in India employs children and makes them under confined rooms for long hours. Children develop respiratory complications and bone deformation. A report by the international Labor Organization reported that over 20000 children are workers in the diamond industries where they chop and polish the stones in risky environments. There are four main factors that contribute to the high levels of child labor in India. There is an increased mortality rate, high levels of illiteracy, in advancements in technology, and globalization. In the year 2001, the child population in India was estimated to be around 34% of the total population. Developing countries such as India may only enjoy effects of globalization through the reduction of child labor and making great investments in the education and heath sector. In the year 1998, it was reported that the level of child labor increased significantly due to economic development in Gujarat.13 It was reported that economic growth led to increase in the level of child labor by analyzing data from more than 10 famous Indian states in a research that analyzed the likelihood of work and schooling for Indian children. In India, a negative relation has been recorded between India and economic growth. 2.4. 1 Child Labor in Various States in India Working hours for children has been reported to increase significantly over the last two decades in major states such as Pradesh, Bihar, and Manipur. However, the rate of increment has not been constant. Between the 1890s and the year 2000, the average working hours for children increased by more than 50%. Additionally, schooling hours have increased significantly in majority of the states except for Arunachal Pradesh. In Himachel Pradesh and Nagaland, it was reported that majority of children spend most of their time in schools.14 Other cities such as Kerala have been involved in voluntary community regulations which have significantly reduced the level of poverty in the area. Also, it has given majority of the children opportunities to school.15 There are various discussions on how the Indian government is working to minimize the levels of child labor in the epoch of globalization. There are many regions that face great challenges in the education and health sectors whereas in some areas, education and the health sector have significantly improved. India has not yet endorsed the ILPO convention 138 and 182 which prohibits child labor. India enacted a national law in the late 1880s which requires compulsory schooling for all children and eliminated the working of children in hazardous conditions. The Indian government is against child labor but has not put serious restrictions to enforce these prohibitions. The current government policies prohibit child labor but there is no specification on the overall child working minimum age. In conditions which are permissible to child labor, children should not work for more than 6 hours. The Indian government ought to enhance the enforcement of policies that prohibit child labor.16 2.5 Consequences of Child Labor Child labor has negative impacts on the child’s mental health. More than a third of the proportions of children in the developing countries do not undergo schooling. Mental health is frequently studied among employed children. A study in Morocco which involved randomly selected children employed in the handicraft industry indicated that these children had high levels of respiratory, skin, and digestive complications. They were reported to have high prevalence for mental illnesses such as insomnia, migraines, irritability, and asthenia.17 In Lebanese, full time children workers were compared with non-working schooling children in a cross-sectional study. Majority of the working children were found to have poor emotional and physical health and majority had skin lesions and hearing impairment. Additionally, research was conducted to find out the effects of solvent exposure and the research found high levels of fatigue, migraine, memory failure, and depression unlike the non-working group.18 A similar cross sectional study carried out in Ethiopia indicated that there was high prevalence of mental disorder in working children was 20.1% in comparison to 12.5% in the non-working group. No reliable studies have bee conducted in India in the determination of effects of child labor.19 Education is a very significant factor of development. Children laborers are forced by circumstances such as; economic deprivation, inadequate schooling facilities, and inability of the family to provide for their basic needs. Unless economic development is achieved in many countries that employ child labor, it is difficult to eliminate child labor. 2.6 Child Labor in Different Countries Despite the increase in globalization which has enhanced economic development, more than 60% of Ethiopian children are subjected to child labor with a monthly wage of not more than one dollar. Majority of the children are domestic workers while others are employees in agricultural farms and gold mines. In Pakistan, children abduction is very common. Nike was one the major companies that was accused of child exploitation in the manufacture of soccer balls.20 Most of the child exploitation cases are reported from the Punjab province which is an international supplier of musical instruments and sports equipments. It indicates the effects of globalization on child labor in Pakistan. More than 40% of children in Somalia are subjected to child labor. According to UNHCR, Somalia has the worst forms of child labor. Children have been exploited armed conflicts, as body guards. Children work under dangerous conditions in the agriculture sector and in mines.21 3.0 Conclusion This paper briefly reported on the relationship between child labor and globalization. Child labor has been used to refer to any form of work that a child gets involved in that is not fit for their age limit. Work that does interfere with the child’s physical, emotional and health well being is not regarded as child labor. There are various forms of child labor in the globe. With the increase in globalization, some researchers report that child labor has significantly reduced while some argue it has escalated the levels of child labor. It is argued that as a country undergoes economic development as a result of globalization, poverty levels will reduce significantly; poverty is the greatest contributor of child labor. Some reports suggest that increased globalization has resulted to exploitation of children in the poor countries as international companies seek for cheap labor. Child labor is majorly concentrated in the informal sector. Majority of industries prefer child workers due to cheap hire costs. There are numerous effects of child labor which include poor health and vicious cycles of poverty. Actual development includes proper education of children. Children are the future citizens; hence, elimination of child labor is significant in the provision of a healthy and educated workforce in the future. Bibliography Bartley, Tim. "Institutional Emergence in an Era of Globalization: The Rise of Transnational Private Regulation of Labor and Environmental Conditions1." American Journal of Sociology 113, no. 2 (2007): 297-351. Browne, Colette V., and Kathryn L. Braun. "Globalization, women's migration, and the long-term-care workforce." The Gerontologist 48, no. 1 (2008): 16-24. Dollar, David. "Globalization, poverty, and inequality since 1980." The World Bank Research Observer 20, no. 2 (2005): 145-175. Jeffrey, Craig. "Geographies of children and youth II Global youth agency." Progress in human geography 36, no. 2 (2012): 245-253. Lerche, Jens. "A Global Alliance against Forced Labour? Unfree Labour, Neo‐Liberal Globalization and the International Labour Organization." Journal of Agrarian Change 7, no. 4 (2007): 425-452. Lyons, Karen. "Globalization and social work: International and local implications." British Journal of Social Work 36, no. 3 (2006): 365-380. Sumner, Jennifer. "From academic imperialism to the civil commons: Institutional possibilities for responding to the United Nations decade of education for sustainable development." Interchange 39, no. 1 (2008): 77-94. Waddock, Sandra. "Building a new institutional infrastructure for corporate responsibility." The Academy of Management Perspectives 22, no. 3 (2008): 87-108. Read More