Child labor: a global view

230 Pages·2004·1.332 MB·English

by  Schmitz, Cathryne L.;Larson, Desi;Traver, Elizabeth KimJin

CHILD LABOR:
A GLOBAL VIEW
Cathryne L. Schmitz
Elizabeth KimJin Traver
Desi Larson
Editors
GREENWOOD PRESS
CHILD LABOR
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CHILD LABOR
A GLOBAL VIEW
Edited by
Cathryne L. Schmitz,
Elizabeth KimJin Traver, and
Desi Larson
A World View of Social Issues
Andrew L. Cherry, Series Adviser
Greenwood Press
Westport, Connecticut (cid:1) London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Child labor : aglobalview / edited byCathryne L.Schmitz, ElizabethKimJin
Traver, and DesiLarson.
p. cm.—(Aworld viewof social issues)
Includesbibliographical references andindex.
ISBN0-313-32277-5 (alk. paper)
1. Child labor. I. Schmitz,Cathryne L.,1946- II. Traver, Elizabeth
KimJin. III. Larson, Desi. IV.Series.
HD6231.C453 2004
331.301—dc22 2003057132
British LibraryCataloguing in Publication Data isavailable.
Copyright #2004byCathryne L. Schmitz,ElizabethKimJin Traver,
and DesiLarson
Allrights reserved. Noportion ofthis book maybe
reproduced, byany process ortechnique, without the
express written consent ofthe publisher.
Library ofCongress Catalog CardNumber: 2003057132
ISBN: 0-313-32277-5
ISSN: 1526-9442
First published in 2004
Greenwood Press,88Post RoadWest, Westport,CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in theUnited States ofAmerica
Thepaper used inthis book complieswith the
Permanent PaperStandard issued bythe National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
Series Foreword vii
INTRODUCTION 1
Cathryne L. Schmitz, Elizabeth KimJin Traver, Desi Larson,
and Pamela Pieris
1 BANGLADESH 13
Shelley Feldman and Desi Larson
2 BRAZIL 27
Elizabeth KimJin Traver
3 CHINA 39
Xiaojun Tong and Shizhen Lu
4 THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 55
B. J. Bryson and Tina Bryson
5 GEORGIA 69
Nona Tsotseria
6 GUATEMALA 79
David Keys and Adam DeFayette
7 HONDURAS 91
Raul Zelaya and Desi Larson
vi CONTENTS
8 INDIA 101
Desi Larson
9 IRAN 113
Reza Jalali
10 MEXICO 123
David Carey, Jr.
11 SOUTH AFRICA 143
Catherine Stakeman
12 SOUTH KOREA 157
Elizabeth KimJin Traver
13 THAILAND 175
Lacey Sloan
14 THE UNITED STATES 185
Pamela Pieris
15 ZIMBABWE 199
Otrude Moyo
Index 213
About the Editors and Contributors 219
SERIES FOREWORD
Why are child abuse in the family and homelessness social conditions to be
enduredoratleasttoleratedinsomecountrieswhileinothercountriesthey
are viewed as social problems that must be reduced or eliminated? What
social institutions and other factors affect these behaviors? What historical,
political,andsocialforcesinfluenceasociety’sresponsetoasocialcondition?
In many cases, individuals around the world have the same or similar hopes
and problems. However, in most cases we deal with the same social condi-
tions in very dissimilar ways.
The volumes in the Greenwood series A World View of Social Issues
examine different social issues and problems that are being faced by indivi-
duals and societies around the world. These volumes examine problems of
poverty and homelessness, drugs and alcohol addiction, HIV/AIDS, teen
pregnancy,crime,women’srights,andamyriadofotherissuesthataffectall
of us in one way or another.
Eachvolumeisdevotedtoonesocialissueorproblem.Allvolumesfollow
the same general format. Each volume has up to fifteen chapters that
describe how people in different countries perceive and try to cope with a
givenproblemorsocialissue.Thecountrieschosenrepresentasmanyworld
regions as possible, making it possible to explore how each issue has been
recognized and what actions have been taken to alleviate it in a variety of
settings.
Eachchapterbeginswithaprofileofthecountrybeinghighlightedandan
overviewoftheimpactofthesocialissueorproblemthere.Basicpolicies,leg-
islation,anddemographicinformationrelatedtothesocialissuearecovered.
viii SERIES FOREWORD
A brief history of the problem helps the reader better understand the poli-
tical and social responses. Political initiatives and policies are also discussed,
aswellassocialviews,customs,andpracticesrelatedtotheproblemorsocial
issue. Discussions about how the countries plan to deal with these social
problems are also included.
These volumes present a comprehensive and engaging approach for the
studyofinternationalsocialconditionsandproblems.Thegoalistoprovide
aconvenientframeworkforreaderstoexaminespecificsocialproblems,how
they are viewed, and what actions are being taken by different countries
around the world.
For example, how is a problem like crime and crime control handled in
third world countries? How is substance abuse controlled in industrialized
countries? How arepovertyand homelessness handled inthe poorest coun-
tries? How does culture influence the definition, and response to, domestic
violence in different countries? What part does economics play in shaping
both the issue of and the response to women’s rights? How does a national
philosophy impact the definition of and response to child abuse? These
questions and more will be answered by the volumes in this series.
Aswelearnmoreaboutourcounterpartsinothercountries,theybecome
realtous,andourworldviewcannothelpbutchange.Wewillthinkofothers
aswethinkofthoseweknow.Theywillbepeoplewhogetupinthemorn-
ingandgotowork.Wewillseepeoplewhoarestrugglingwithrelationships,
attending religious services, being born,and growing old, and dying.
This series will cover issues that will add to your knowledge about con-
temporary social society. These volumes will help you to better understand
social conditions and social issues in a broader sense, giving you a view of
what various problems mean to different peopleand how theseperspectives
impactasociety’sresponse.Youwillbeabletoseehowspecificsocialprob-
lems are managed by governments and individuals confronting the con-
sequences of these social dilemmas. By studying one problem from various
angles, you will be better able to grasp the totality of the situation, while at
thesametimespeculatingastohowsolutionsusedinonecountrycouldbe
incorporated in another. Finally, this series will allow you to compare and
contrasthowthesesocialissuesimpactindividualsindifferentcountriesand
how the effect is dissimilar or similar to your own experiences.
Asseriesadviser,itismyhopethatthesevolumes,whichareuniqueinthe
history of publishing, will increase your understanding and appreciation of
your counterparts around the world.
Andrew Cherry
Series Adviser
INTRODUCTION
Cathryne L. Schmitz, Elizabeth KimJin Traver,
Desi Larson, and Pamela Pieris
Child labor is a complex social and political issue with a long and evolving
history. This phenomenon has moved to new dimensions over the last
couple of centuries. The work of children is a global issue. The manifesta-
tionsvarywidelyinimpactdependingontheconditions(Boyden,1991) of
poverty, economy, history, and position in the global social and economic
systems.Children’sworkcanbepaidorunpaid;itcanbefamilyoremployer
labor. Poverty is the major precipitating factor, but education, rigid social
and cultural roles, economic greed, family size, geography, and global eco-
nomics all contribute.
Child labor is found in poor and wealthy economies. While no clear or
universaldefinitionexists,ingeneralthetermchildlaborreferstoworkthat
impedes children’s access to education and is harmful to their physical,
mental,moral,developmental,andsocialwell-being.Childlaborisreported
in terms of varying degrees of exploitation, from oppressive to hazardous.
Central to this discussionis the definition ofchild labor. Questions many
countries struggle with include: What is a child, what is labor, and what
entails work? It is globally recognized that there is a period during the life
spanwhenapersonisachild.Nevertheless,theworlddebatesatwhatpoint
inlifechildhoodactuallyendsandwhatthecapacitiesandresponsibilitiesof
children are along the road to adulthood. The dominant perception of
childhoodisamodernWesternphenomenonbasedonthechild’sbiological
structure and cultural information. This perspective colors our ideas about
child’s play and the notion that childhood should be carefree. It is a view
that sees the modern child as lacking ‘‘the capacities, skills and powers of