April 10, 2005

     Amartya Sen and Thomas L. Friedman have made the point that the issue of whether or not nations should go forward with “globalization” has already been made. The issue now is, “how do we globalize?”

   “In theory, the WTO is supposed to promote freer international trade, and there is some evidence that it has accomplished this.  However, critics of the WTO contend that it has liberalized trade at undue cost to a nation’s sovereignty.  Also, the WTO mainly responds to the interest of profit-maximizing corporations rather than workers and environmentalists according to the critics…. The protesters of the WTO are a reminder that the policies of the WTO must be weighed in a broader context of the world community and social justice, not just increased economic growth.”  (Carbaugh, 558)

     The members of the WTO are a collection of nations that are industrially developed nations and developing nations.  Research the topic of globalization and international trade and the functions and operations of  the World Trade Organization.

      Answer the following questions in an essay on globalization, that deals with issues of  economic fairness and human justice in the world economy and a more equitable distribution of the world’s wealth.

1. Should the U.S. government insist that trans-national American companies, that open factories and hire foreign wage-earners in other countries, pay “socially just wages” rather than market determined wages?  Why or why not?

2. Should the World Trade Organization try to establish minimum wage laws, minimum working conditions and more stringent environmental standards in member nations?  Why or why not?

3.  Does the anti-sweatshop movement help or harm workers in low wage economies?

Why or why not?

Document your work by footnoting or notating materials that you use in your paper.  Include 5 to 10 citations in the body of the paper and additionally provide a bibliography or Works Cited page.   Don’t use encyclopedia or textbook citations!

The paper should be a thousand words in length.  Use a 12 point, conventional font (New Times Roman, Arial…..) and double-space.

The paper is due May 9, 2005.  Five point penalty for each day late.

Suggested Sources:

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/index.jsp

The World Is Flat – Thomas L. Friedman

In Defense of Globalization. -  Jagdish Baghwati

Global Inc. – Medard Gabel and Henry Bruner

The Lexus and the Olive Tree  - Thomas L. Friedman