Clothing Industry

Tom James

TheTrueCost-Worksheet.docx

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Movie Guide: THE TRUE COST Name___________________

While/after you watch “The True Cost”: Answer these questions.

1. Describe how has fashion changed from the traditional four seasons approach 50 years ago.

Prices-

Costs-

Arrival of new things=

2. Globalized Production means…

Factories-

Companies-

Retailers –

3. Describe the disaster at the Dhaka garment factory. Why did it happen? Who was affected? How many died?

4. IN YOUR OPINION… Would you be willing to pay more for clothing if you knew that the people who produced it could live safely and earn a decent wage? How much (more) would you pay for the following items?

_______ a t-shirt _____a pair of jeans _____a sweatshirt _____shoes

_______a jacket _____athletic shoes _____shorts ____tank top

5. What is the counter argument to support the existence of sweatshops?

6. How is the clothing produced at PEOPLE TREE different? What does it mean to be produced by FAIR TRADE?

7. What is the wage earned by garment workers in Bangladesh? Could you live on this?

8. Describe what happened when the workers tried to form a union and submit their demands for change.

9. How has cotton production changed over the last hundred years?

10. How does genetically modifying seeds benefit the seed producers like Monsanto?

11. How do these chemicals affect the health of the people who are exposed to them?

12. How many farmers have committed suicide in India since the year 2000?

13. What is the message that advertisers are trying to send to people about buying their products?

14. Explain the philosophy behind “consumptionism”.

What are the two kinds of products?

What is consumptionism about?

15. How does Fast Fashion impact our environment?

16. What percent of clothes donated actually gets sent to thrift shops? Where does the rest wind up?

17. How does production of leather products impact the environment in India?

18. IN YOUR OPINION… what is the true cost of cheap fashion? Discuss all the negative implications of access to inexpensive clothing and shoes? Give as many examples as possible.

19. In Cambodia, what were the workers demanding? How did the Cambodian government respond?

20. How do you think WE could become agents of change? What would be the best way to make changes in the system the fashion industry employs?

21. Why did the Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act fail to pass in Congress?

BRAINSTORM: Brainstorm a list of all the barriers you can imagine to fixing the unfair/unhealthy/unsafe garment production system. What kinds of things stand in the way to producing clothing with less negative impact on people and the planet?

EXPERIMENT: Watch TV and record what commercials you see. Include the product, the brand and the message you think they are trying to send.

ITEM	BRAND	Message: Can be tricky, think hard
Shampoo	Pantene	Your frizzy hair will be lovely, people will be more attracted to you.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

EXPERIMENT: Take an inventory of your closet. Write down how many of each of these items that you own and where it was made.

ITEM	Quantity you own	Where they are produced
T-shirts
Jeans
Sweaters
Sweatshirts
Tennis Shoes
Flip flops
Pairs of underwear
Shorts
Tank tops
Hats
Boots
Scarves
Sweatpants

REFLECT: Did seeing this film change your thoughts about purchasing clothing? Were there surprises that you didn’t know about? Do you think your own shopping habits will change as a result of this movie? How? What were some of the stories you felt were most impactful? How do you think the clothing industry will change (if at all) in the future?

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Want to learn more? Visit: truecostmovie.com

This resource was developed by Babara Davies and available from Tes.com (https://www.tes.com/resources/search/?q=the%20true%20cost)