SWA#22

One problem I will be observing in my paper is that of unfair wages. The minimum wage in many nations is very low. Usually, they are somewhere around 1 dollar a day. Many states such as China have raised the minimum wage for children which has not prevented growth in the economy. The same imrprovements can be made in other Southeastern Asia. Higher wages will create more skilled work and better morale for the chilren. Several proposals are in place to raise the minimum age to international levels. The minimum wage in a majority of US states is about 8 dollars a day.

Working thesis: All five groups influence policy change for imrpovement in minimum wages, minimum age of hire, and child occupational safety hazards.

SWA #21

Student #3 The issue in this essay is deforestation. It is explained in the beginning that deforestation is a growing problem with no effective solution. The four different perspectives of four different groups, the indigenous people, the businesses, the medical researchers, and the environmentalists, are easy to spot. The thesis does not say anything about the four different viewpoints but rather two possible solutions to the problem. The student effectively uses the introduction and conclusion as he starts with an outside perspective and ends by explaining his own views on the subject. Yes I think the essay is somewhat effective. It is not very interesting or emotional, but it gets the job done. I would have told this student to add a little more flair to the essay along with adding some statistics to his or her findings.

SWA #20

Exploratory essay outline

Jonathan Iwaskiw

3/21/12

English Section 111

I plan to delve into the world of child labor laws in Southeast Asia.  Child labor can serve many purposes. It has both negative and positive aspects. It is hotly debated around the world and Southeast Asia is a hotbed for corporations that occupy and take advantage of the workforce.

Thesis: Although there are differing opinions on child labor laws ranging including from those of corporations, humanitarian groups, impartial scholars, and the children themselves, the main consensus is that these regulations must be changed for the common benefit of all parties.

4 points of view.

1.      Corporations

a.      Most do not care about the workforce as long as there is productivity.

b.      They support it because they can pay cheaper wages thus making them more profitable

c.       They have fought government legislation to abolish some of the laws.

d.      Causing a drastic change in workers’ rights and standards would stunt economic growth and would make their corporation uncompetitive.

2.      The labor

a.      Most children do not realize they are being taken advantage of making them indifferent.

b.      It is hard for children’s voices to be heard because of a variety of reasons.

c.       Most of the children need a job to make some sort of money to support their families, so they keep content.

d.      Because of the lack of labor unions, many workers do not have any sort of outlet to complain about their current conditions.

3.      Humanitarian groups

a.      Most of these groups find child labor unethical.

b.      They believe that it should stop indefinitely.

c.       They find many of the conditions to be inhumane and reminiscent to prisons.

d.      They call for wage increase and safer working conditions through donation and lobbying to foreign Governments and corporations.

e.      Opposite view of Corporations

4.      Politicians and Economists

a.      They have an academic viewpoint and are most educated on the subject.

b.      They see that while child labor is unethical, it serves a variety of purposes. Therefore, it can’t be abolished altogether at once.

c.       They think that improvements can be made to increase productivity while strengthening regulations.

d.      These individuals have a greater share of influence than all groups besides corporations.

e.      Many of the opinions come from a variety of sources rather than one clear group of people

My view is in line with that of the Politicians and Economists. One cannot evaluate the situation without proper information and education.  Lack of education is the reason why many children are taken advantage of in the first place. I firmly believe that many changes can be made that are both practical and ethical that will benefit all parties involved.

Section 3 Ichiro

Being an avid baseball player and fan, I know most of the terms that were mentioned in the essay. However, when Kang mentioned that Japan had occupied his country, I did some research on that. Looking at the history of Eastern Asian helped bring light to Kang's essay. Japanese, Chinese, and Korean people are often grouped into one "Asian" group. However, their cultures are very different. These three nations have been at war with eachother many time throughout history. This is why Kang felt uncomfortable cheering for Ichiro, a Japanese player. To conclude, if you know the history of a certain culture and region, you have a better idea of their perspective on a certain subject.

SWA #19

Caraway, Teri. "Labor Rights in East Asia: Progress or Regress?." Journal of East Asian Studies. 9.2 (2009): 153-186. Print.

                Ms. Caraway examines how economic and social changes have effected labor rights in Southeast Asia. This article compares different data from regions in Southeast Asia. The author sustains that labor rights have improved do to the increase in labor union activity. However, the situation is still pretty bad. The author’s major problem with these standards is that they do not provide flexibility in a rapidly changing market. She states that Singapore’s laws are extremely weak compared with international standards.

Caraway, Teri. "Labor Standards and Labor Market Flexibility in East Asia.." Studies in Comparative International Development. 45.2 (2010): 225-249. Print.

Caraway shows that labor standards in Southeast Asia have improved greatly, but have lost their flexibility. International pressure has not done much to improve the conditions, however. Besides South Korea, standards in this region are still a long way from being up to par with the rest of the world. In summary, she shows that domestic pressure rather than international pressure seems to be the cause of most of the change

Ichiro and annotation

The author's main point is that American's accept immigrants if they are skilled at something or gain celebrity status. Also, he sustains that Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans are all lumped together into one group by Americans. Immigrants in general, meet a lot of obstacles. Asian Americans are typically not good at baseball and the fact that Ichiro is a star is a breakthrough in modern stereotypes. In baseball, cultural and racial barriers often do not matter because baseball is an even playing field. Baseball is equated to patriotism and Americanism.

Kang, a Korean American sports writer, argues how Ichiro both broke down and sustained stereotypes in American culture. By being an Asian that succeeded in baseball, Ichiro was atypical in his baseball abilities. He was more accepted by American culture because he was respected in the field of an American pastime. Kang, on the other hand, was uncomfortable cheering for Ichiro because while they were both Asian, Kang was specifically Korean while Ichiro was Japanese. In addition, same Americans felt that baseball should be played a specifically American way which was not the way that Ichiro played.

SWA #17

Miller, Barbara Cultural Anthropology.  6^th edition. Pearson Education Inc.  Saddle River, NJ. 2011. Print. Pg. 376-377

                In this textbook, Miller observes and explains different anthropological behaviors. In this particular section, Miller focuses on women in the workplace and their advancement through the years. She talks about how an informal system of social networks emerged to help support poor Maya women vendors. She goes on further to say that many women in developing countries provide a substantial portion of their families’ income. This would provide solutions and suggestions for women in eastern Asia, a region not mentioned in this passage.

                Mapelcroft Inc. “Child Labour Policy” Bath, United Kingdom. April 2010.

                This bulletin about the risks of child labor is authored by a global risk management company named Mapelcroft. They analyze risks that effect the growth of businesses in a social and economic sense. This bulletin provides a viewpoint that advocates the benefits of the corporations. Mapelcroft states that child labor is not only illegal, but also inefficient and risky.