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Child Labor: A Global Crisis
The problem of child labor around the world is increasing in spite or the technology revolution and increased public and political awareness of the problem. This cross cultural look at child labor is a solid reference volume covering the difference between work and labor, issues such as poverty and cultural implications, and heartbreaking real-life stories of young workers.
128 pages, Library Binding
First published September 1, 1998
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About the author
Kathlyn Gay
134 books3 followersKATHLYN GAY is the author of more than 100 books, including young adult books, encyclopedias, teacher manuals, and portions of textbooks. Most of her work focuses on social and environmental issues, culture, history, and communication. In 1983, her book Acid Rain was selected as an "Outstanding Book" by the National Council for Social Studies and National Science Teachers' Association. Silent Killers received the same award in 1988. Global Garbage: International Trade in Toxic Waste was chosen as a Notable Book for Young People in 1993. In recent years, Kathlyn Gay has collaborated with family members, sons Martin and Douglas Gay and daughter Karen Hamilton, on various books.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 1, 2019
Child Labor: A Global Crisis, Kathlyn Gay, 1998, isbn 0761303685
Counts as a success a school district’s boycott of child-stitched soccer balls.
What’s missing is the larger picture:
Poverty is /because/ of wealth. Local elites and global corporations have taken all the land, control all the businesses, finance, and government. U.S.-subsidized agribusinesses dump commodities on the world market at less than cost, destroying farm livelihoods worldwide. Governments refuse to tax the rich nor regulate corporations.
The book takes a “those poor people!” tone—ignoring that, when labor anywhere is devalued, labor everywhere is devalued. When we stand on our brother’s neck, we both go down. An injury to Juan /is/ an injury to Al.
Focuses on ending child labor—ignoring that, unless adult labor earns a family-supporting income, kids will still be in a bad case.
Says nothing about NAFTA and other multinational agreements’ plundering of labor and the environment everywhere.
Despairs of enforcing workers’ rights—yet intellectual property rights are jealously enforced.
Tells us that, /except/ Somolia and the United States of America, all of the United Nations had signed the (1989) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (as of 12/31/1997, pp. 28–29). International agreements against child labor do /not/ prohibit trade in products of child labor.
The author congratulates Kathie Lee Gifford for calling on apparel companies such as hers to voluntarily comply with existing but unenforced laws in the low-wage countries she operates in. (pp. 68–72, 83)
This book is aimed at 12-year-olds in the U.S.
It’s written in a journalistic style: “critics contend …,” “some activists say they saw ….” No first-hand observation. Relies only on published reports, such as Associated Press articles and UNICEF commissioners’ reports.
Has links for further reading:
http://stopchildlabor.org/
https://corporatewatch.org/
https://we.org/
https://www.hrw.org/# Human Rights Watch
https://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/i... International Labor Organization
https://www.savethechildren.net/
dol.gov/agencies/ilab U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs
Counts as a success a school district’s boycott of child-stitched soccer balls.
What’s missing is the larger picture:
Poverty is /because/ of wealth. Local elites and global corporations have taken all the land, control all the businesses, finance, and government. U.S.-subsidized agribusinesses dump commodities on the world market at less than cost, destroying farm livelihoods worldwide. Governments refuse to tax the rich nor regulate corporations.
The book takes a “those poor people!” tone—ignoring that, when labor anywhere is devalued, labor everywhere is devalued. When we stand on our brother’s neck, we both go down. An injury to Juan /is/ an injury to Al.
Focuses on ending child labor—ignoring that, unless adult labor earns a family-supporting income, kids will still be in a bad case.
Says nothing about NAFTA and other multinational agreements’ plundering of labor and the environment everywhere.
Despairs of enforcing workers’ rights—yet intellectual property rights are jealously enforced.
Tells us that, /except/ Somolia and the United States of America, all of the United Nations had signed the (1989) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (as of 12/31/1997, pp. 28–29). International agreements against child labor do /not/ prohibit trade in products of child labor.
The author congratulates Kathie Lee Gifford for calling on apparel companies such as hers to voluntarily comply with existing but unenforced laws in the low-wage countries she operates in. (pp. 68–72, 83)
This book is aimed at 12-year-olds in the U.S.
It’s written in a journalistic style: “critics contend …,” “some activists say they saw ….” No first-hand observation. Relies only on published reports, such as Associated Press articles and UNICEF commissioners’ reports.
Has links for further reading:
http://stopchildlabor.org/
https://corporatewatch.org/
https://we.org/
https://www.hrw.org/# Human Rights Watch
https://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/i... International Labor Organization
https://www.savethechildren.net/
dol.gov/agencies/ilab U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs
Displaying 1 of 1 review