T-Shirt In China Case Analysis

Using the material from the Travels of a T-shirt book and the China Question DVD answer the following question. Does the life-cycle of a t-shirt, from its creation, through its life, death and rebirth, improve society or make it worse?

A single plain old T-Shirt serve to show the complex negotiations and interactions of both local and global societies. By following a T-Shirt, from plantation, to manufacturing, to rebirth, it is evident that the life-cycle of a T-Shirt has brought many significant benefits and breakthroughs to society in areas of business, job opportunities, and social welfare.

The impacts of a T-Shirt on society starts at the production level. The plantation of the cotton provide job and working opportunities for the local

T-Shirts arrive in developing countries in sweatshops where the work sewing and dyeing done. While many processes can be mechanized, other parts of the manufacturing process such as production oversight and sewing and still require manual labor. The film “The China Question”, documents job opportunities created in China in the T-Shirt manufacturing industry. The film addresses the benefits of increased rise in job opportunities including decreased crime rates, poverty, improved overall health living standards of the

In protests, workers can come together to call attention to areas such as minimum wage, racial and gender injustice in the workplace. In response, the governments has the opportunity to improve its social welfare programs. Rivoli states that many T-Shirts are put together in workers in sweatshops whose working conditions and hourly wages are very poor. As a results of many different protest and movements, the Chinese government, for example, has become more responsive and attentive to worker and human rights.

The finished T-shirts are sent back to the U.S for branding, marketing, and further distribution worldwide. The trade of commodity and consumer products opens the doors for countries to come together to strengthen relations and ties. In a win-win situation, the cotton trade deals not only allowed China to provide job opportunities to it’s citizens, but allowed the U.S. to gain an edge in the race to the bottom by producing low cost T-Shirts. Furthermore, the rebirth of T-shirt as donated goods to Africa is not only an act that strengthens country ties but also an extension of philanthropy and aid to less fortunate places.

In areas of international trade, business, job opportunities, and social welfare, the life-cycle of a T-Shirt has opened up doors that have allowed our societies to move forward and advance. The life-cycle of a T-Shit, though imperfect, is constantly being