Fieldwork Assignment #1: Globalization and my Converse All Stars
First off, what are they?
Converse All Stars are a type of sneakers created by the company Converse, which was founded in 1908.
What are they made out of?
Converse All Stars, colloquially referred to as chucks, are made out of rubber and heat-resistant fabric that is able to withstand the vulcanization process that the shoes undergo.
Who and where are they made?
Factory workers make Converse.Many of Nike's factories are located in East Asian countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam. Nike also has countries in Southen Asia as well. In 2003 Converse was bought by Nike Inc. Workers in these countries work for amounts that in the United States are considered extremely lower.
What local impact does this product have?
Factory workers in these countries more than often work long, tiring hours for little to nothing in wages. In 2015, women at Nike factories in Cambodia were reportedly fainting, as a result of the factories' working conditions in the factory.
How is it disposed? What are the real enviromental cost of producing this item?
Converse, despite being made from rubber which is not considered "environmentally friendly", it manufactured in a way that pollutes less.
Personally, clothes and shoes that I can no longer where are simply donated to the local shelter or thrift shop. In fact, Nike has a program in which they recycle old or used shoes
Despite its use of non-renewable materials such as rubber, these efforts have a minuscule effect on the lives of workers who work in horrible condition for little amounts of pay. Not the mention the numerous account of economic and emotional abuse that these workers face every day. According to Thai women and also Nike factory worker, the entire factory was barred from their because their daily quota was not met. It was not until two months later than these she and the other women from the factory gathered what little resources they had left and decided to protest.
My ability to buy and wear Converse shoes made in countries from halfway across the world is the direct result of Globalization. From however as seen and told by the people living in Eastern and Southern Asian countries, not everyone reaps the benefits equally. But there is more to these women that who they are inside a Nike factory. They are wives, sisters, aunts, nieces, artists, singers, dances, and more. Thank globalization I can find out more about these women and truly hear their stories.