WATCH:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmj82Ta61sg
Sprague claims that social theory derives from the perspectives of white male capitalists (Marx, Weber, Durkheim). Within these perspectives, the voices of those that are not within that category are silenced (working class, poor class (men/women), lgbt, "minority", etc.). This becomes a problem when social theory is used as a foundation of how society works (i.e. capitalism). She claims that by providing a diversity of standpoints within social theories, a a better perspective of everyone's needs could be understood.
The video that I linked to my blog gives a clear explanation on how a sweatshop (BJ&J) in the Dominican Republic was organized under the white male capitalist social theories perspective (such as Marx) and how a simple diversity of standpoints (Sprague) changed an exploited sweatshop into a real working environment for its workers (Alta Gracia)
In Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic, about 15 years ago, there used to be a sweatshop called BJ&J. This sweatshop made clothing for university bookstores in the U.S.. Within this sweatshop, the Free Trade Zone System was implemented. The goal of this system was "to fight unemployment". However, the Free Trade Zone System lowered the salaries through competition since it pitted workers against each other, took away worker's rights, and gave more rights to company owners. Workers worked long hours which made it very unsafe. I connected the Free Trade Zone System to Marx, as he was all about exploitation and believed that the more the worker produced, the less they were worth.
Marx's idea of alienated labor was also implemented into the Free Trade Zone System. All workers in BJ&J related to Marx explanation on how the worker is alienated in four ways; Alienated from their products/fruits of our labors (making enough money ONLY to survive), alienated from their productive ability, work you do it no longer yours- your time isn't yours (workers explained how they had no time for school, for their children, for their families, or for themselves), alienated from your species (workers worked for someone else and made their world in their way), and alienated from other men--(students didn't know who made their university gear and workers competed with one another to get ahead in the workplace and were torn apart from each other).
When BJ&J was closed down due to students not buying their clothing in universities, many were affected by it as the majority of the population of Villa Altagracia was unemployed. Given that they needed employment they created a union to have a company making paraphernalia for universities but under better circumstances. Reaching out to the students of universities in the U.S., such as (USAS- United Students Against Sweatshops) to have people buy their clothing helped them become "Alta Gracia" and not "BJ&J" anymore. Students would strike at their perspective schools and place "Alta Gracia" tags on their products for students to buy. There was a very big difference in pay (almost quadrupled) of workers in Alta Gracia and the amount of time they had for their family and studies.
As mentioned earlier, this is an example of how a sweatshop, that completely disregarded how the workers felt about the working environment turned into a better environment for its workers by simply adding the perspectives of its workers. Although Marx argued that exploitation was the only way for capitalism, here is a vivid example that combats that argument. Alta Gracia's system is looked down upon by many other companies practicing the "Free Trade Zone System" in the Dominican Republic only because the "Bourgeoisie" is not exploiting the "proletariat", as Marx would say. They don't want to believe that another company is working without exploiting their workers. WHY? Because its unheard of...we've only been exposed to social theories of white male capitalist that "work just fine". Alta Gracia proves otherwise--its a win-win situation. The workers are well paid and their products are well sold at universities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmj82Ta61sg
Sprague claims that social theory derives from the perspectives of white male capitalists (Marx, Weber, Durkheim). Within these perspectives, the voices of those that are not within that category are silenced (working class, poor class (men/women), lgbt, "minority", etc.). This becomes a problem when social theory is used as a foundation of how society works (i.e. capitalism). She claims that by providing a diversity of standpoints within social theories, a a better perspective of everyone's needs could be understood.
The video that I linked to my blog gives a clear explanation on how a sweatshop (BJ&J) in the Dominican Republic was organized under the white male capitalist social theories perspective (such as Marx) and how a simple diversity of standpoints (Sprague) changed an exploited sweatshop into a real working environment for its workers (Alta Gracia)
In Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic, about 15 years ago, there used to be a sweatshop called BJ&J. This sweatshop made clothing for university bookstores in the U.S.. Within this sweatshop, the Free Trade Zone System was implemented. The goal of this system was "to fight unemployment". However, the Free Trade Zone System lowered the salaries through competition since it pitted workers against each other, took away worker's rights, and gave more rights to company owners. Workers worked long hours which made it very unsafe. I connected the Free Trade Zone System to Marx, as he was all about exploitation and believed that the more the worker produced, the less they were worth.
Marx's idea of alienated labor was also implemented into the Free Trade Zone System. All workers in BJ&J related to Marx explanation on how the worker is alienated in four ways; Alienated from their products/fruits of our labors (making enough money ONLY to survive), alienated from their productive ability, work you do it no longer yours- your time isn't yours (workers explained how they had no time for school, for their children, for their families, or for themselves), alienated from your species (workers worked for someone else and made their world in their way), and alienated from other men--(students didn't know who made their university gear and workers competed with one another to get ahead in the workplace and were torn apart from each other).
When BJ&J was closed down due to students not buying their clothing in universities, many were affected by it as the majority of the population of Villa Altagracia was unemployed. Given that they needed employment they created a union to have a company making paraphernalia for universities but under better circumstances. Reaching out to the students of universities in the U.S., such as (USAS- United Students Against Sweatshops) to have people buy their clothing helped them become "Alta Gracia" and not "BJ&J" anymore. Students would strike at their perspective schools and place "Alta Gracia" tags on their products for students to buy. There was a very big difference in pay (almost quadrupled) of workers in Alta Gracia and the amount of time they had for their family and studies.
As mentioned earlier, this is an example of how a sweatshop, that completely disregarded how the workers felt about the working environment turned into a better environment for its workers by simply adding the perspectives of its workers. Although Marx argued that exploitation was the only way for capitalism, here is a vivid example that combats that argument. Alta Gracia's system is looked down upon by many other companies practicing the "Free Trade Zone System" in the Dominican Republic only because the "Bourgeoisie" is not exploiting the "proletariat", as Marx would say. They don't want to believe that another company is working without exploiting their workers. WHY? Because its unheard of...we've only been exposed to social theories of white male capitalist that "work just fine". Alta Gracia proves otherwise--its a win-win situation. The workers are well paid and their products are well sold at universities.