(Student’s Full Name)
Summary of Saskia Sassen’s “Women’s Burden: Counter-geographies of Globalization and the Feminization of Survival” and its Relationship to Current Events
Saskia Sassen’s article discusses the “variety of alternative global circuits” for “making a living, earning a profit and securing government revenue” (523). The writer notes that these “incorporate increasing numbers of women” (Sassen 523). Sassen pointed out the most significant of these “global circuits” are the “illegal trafficking in women for prostitution” and “regular work,” “organized export of women as brides, nurses and domestic servants,” and the “remittances” of a growing “female emigrant workforce” (523). Sassen indicates that many of these global circuits function “partially or wholly in the shadow economy” (523). The researcher mentions that these “global circuits” have arisen because of certain factors that contribute to a country’s economic under-development (Sassen 523). Some of these include the following: “heavy and rising burden of government debt,” “the growth in unemployment,” and “sharp cuts in government social expenditures” (Sassen 523).
Summary of Keith Hart’s “Informal Income Opportunities and Urban Employment in Ghana”
In Keith Hart’s “Informal Income Opportunities and Urban Employment in Ghana” explains how “informal economic activities” in Accra, Ghana “possess some autonomous capacity for generating growth in the incomes of the urban (and rural) poor” (61). Furthermore, the article aims to determine how accurate the notion is that suggests that the “‘urban unemployed and underemployed’” forms part of the “passive, exploited majority” in Accra, Ghana, who have been affected by “foreign capitalist dominance” of Ghana’s economy (Hart 88).
Summary of Martha Alter Chen’s “Rethinking the Informal Economy: Linkages with the Formal Economy and the Formal Regulatory Environment”
In this article, Martha Alter Chen shows the connections between “informal economy” and the “formal economy” and “the formal regulatory environment” (1). Alter Chen explains that informal economic activities are becoming commonplace in many economies because “employment growth is not keeping pace with the demand for jobs” since there is now an increase in the global population of the number of persons who are “of working age” (11). In addition, employers are more likely to transform “formal jobs” into formal ones instead of vice versa (Alter Chen 11). Therefore, Alter Chen recommends that countries create policies that “decrease the costs of working informally and to increase the benefits of working formally” (11).
Summary for Eric Schlosser’s “In the Strawberry Fields”
Eric Schlosser in his article, published in The Atlantic, explains how California’s agricultural industry has given rise to informal economic activities. The writer explains that the growing of crops, such as strawberries, have led to employers relying on the labor of “illegal immigrants from Mexico” (Schlosser par. 3). California’s “rural landscape and communities” has transformed because farmers recognize the profitability of planting strawberry fields that can “yield more revenue per acre than virtually any other crop except marijuana” (Schlosser par. 3). Although “illegal immigrants” have been despised for being “welfare cheats,” they are still needed by California’s agricultural industry because they prevent many of the state’s farms from going out of business (Schlosser par. 5).
Summary for Ian Urbina’s “‘Sea Slaves’: The Human Misery that feeds Pets and Livestock”
Ian Urbina in this article, which was published in The New York Times, explains how “lax maritime labor laws” and the “insatiable global demand for seafood” (despite the depletion of “fishing stocks”) have led to slavery or “[l]abor abuse at sea” (pars. 5 & 6). The writer explains that an increasing number of fishing vessels are relying on “long-haul fishing” (Urbina par. 7). When this happens, vessels are most likely to stay at sea far from the “reach of authorities” (Urbina par. 7). This allows workers to be exposed to ill-treatment as fishing vessels attempt to catch more fish and conserve fuel, which is expensive. Therefore, this permits operators of fishing vessels to participate in informal industries, which allow them to use forced labor at sea that provides “forage fish” for pets and livestock raised in the U.S., for example (Urbina par. 4).
The Relationship between Issues Discussed in the Above Mentioned Articles and Current Events
The above mentioned articles are important because they present issues that are relevant to the current state of affairs of the world. Globalization and free trade has led to the demand of cheap labor to provide goods and services to primarily the industrialized world at affordable prices. The demand for cheap labor have led to employers hiring illegal immigrants and engaging in the act of coercing persons to work in industries, such as the sex and fishing industries, for instance.
In the current U.S. Presidential campaign, many Americans are furious at the fact that their jobs are going to a cheap labor force that can work for prolonged periods for very little pay. However, the use of illegal immigrants appear to be considered necessary for many businesses if they desire to stay in business and produce goods and services at an affordable price to a public with discerning tastes. The above mentioned articles illustrate how easy it is for employers to rely on informal economic activities to remain in business rather than formal ones.
Works Cited
Alter Chen, Martha. “Rethinking the Informal Economy: Linkages with the Formal Economy and the Formal Regulatory Environment.” United Nations. Web. 2 Apr. 2016. <http://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2007/wp46_2007.pdf>.
Hart, Keith. “Informal Income Opportunities and Urban Employment in Ghana.” The Journal of Modern African Studies. 11.01 (1973): 61. Web. 2 Apr. 2016. <http://urbanpolicy.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/Hart-_Keith_1973_InformalEconInGhana.pdf>.
Sassen, Saskia. “Women’s Burden: Counter-Geographies of Globalization and the Feminization of Survival.” Nordic Journal of International Law 71.2 (2002): 255-74. Web. 2 Apr. 2016. <http://www.saskiasassen.com/PDFs/publications/Women-Burden.pdf>.
Schlosser, Eric. “In the Strawberry Fields.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 1 Nov. 1995. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. <http://www.theatlantic.com/past/issues/95nov/strawber.htm>.
Urbina, Ian. “‘Sea Slaves’: The Human Misery That Feeds Pets and Livestock.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 July 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/world/outlaw-ocean-thailand-fishing-sea-slaves-pets.html?_r=0>.
