Case study 8-10 pages

CMNS240 paper proposal

Feb.17th 2020

Title: The Exploitation of Labor in Cellphone Industries: Foxconn

One paragraph to describe your chosen case in detail, including why it’s significant for the reader to care about as a PEC issue

My paper will focuses on the exploitation of labor in the cell phone industry. It is imperative to understand what labor exploitation entails before narrowing it down to the specifics of the project. Exploitation of labor described as the act of mistreating workers in ways such as underpaying them or subjecting them to severe working conditions. Such exploitation develops when multinational firms exploit personnel in poor and developing nations for their malicious gains. Exploitation in Foxconn emanates from a social relationship based on power asymmetry between workers and their employers. This is an illegal and unethical practice that has been widely condemned by labor and human rights or organizations. However, the practice still continues as it has extensive economic benefits on the firms involved. The introduction of free trade as an approach to promote business interactions between nations exposed developing nations to increased rates of exploitation by the developed countries. Foxconn, which is based in Taiwan, is one of the main mobile manufacturing companies that has been involved in labor exploitation cases.

One paragraph to explain how you’ll apply a chosen PEC framework and a selection of PEC considerations to your case – and how they can be helpful for better understanding your case

As to use approach of political economy as a framework for critical analysis in this paper, I will emphasis on the theories claimed by Karl Marx. By using the analysis what Marx described what economic function for capital do they serve on the critical views how the dominant party gains power or economic relations from the weaker. The role that the both United States and China dominate the world cell phone industry and their relations styles characterize capitalism. Capitalism is a system of wealth creation in which few individuals own all factors of production where they exploit the poor to further their ends. Cell phone industry assumes capitalism in the manner companies owners make massive profits. The manufacturing sits are in some of the most marginalized and impoverished regions of the current global economy.

Argument/thesis statement:

This study aims at exploring the issues of labour exploitation in the Foxconn Company by highlighting the power or economic relations that the dominant party gains from the weaker(labours).

Teacher’s Feedback:

This is a great topic, and you have demonstrated strongly that this is a PEC case. Your argument is clear and you identify several factors contributing to the problems with Foxconn. It leaves me wondering, what are some better ways forward here? Are there any scholars that discuss solutions or ways to hold these companies accountable? You certainly do not need to solve the problem here, but some discussion on praxis would be helpful. Have you read the Foxconn article by Jack Qiu? He's a famous scholar who did a lot of work in this area. I recommend his work!

Course readings:

Heilbroner, Robert (1986). "Chapter Two: The Drive to Amass Capital." In The Nature and Logic of Capitalism. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, pp.33-77.

Smythe, Dallas (1977). "Communication: Blindspot of western Marxism." Canadian Journal of Political and Social Theory 1(3): pp.1-27.

Additional sources:

Jack qiu’s article: “China’s digital working class and circuits of labor” and “Network Labor: Beyond the Shadow of Foxconn".