Essay on Child Labor and Globalization
Employing children under 18 for any job is known as child labor because it robs them of their youth. The child’s capacity to experience their own mental, physical, and moral development is hampered by this type of work.
Due to the inherently asymmetrical power dynamics between them, child labor exploitation is the unfair employment of children as labor by employers for their gain.
Worldwide, child labor is illegal, and severe laws are in place to prevent employers from exploiting children. The regulations governing child work do have certain exceptions, though. Among the exceptions to the labor rules about child labor are works produced by young artists and training under supervision.
Globalization is only one of many elements that have an impact on child labor, whether it’s beneficial or bad. Globalization is the fusion and union of nations by sharing opinions and concepts. This essay aims to show how globalization and child labor are related throughout the industrial revolution and the twenty-first century.
Industrial Revolution
Throughout history, child labor has been used to differing degrees in different nations and civilizations. Child labor peaked during the industrial revolution (1820–1840), when kids as young as five started working in factories.
According to a study, children between the ages of 5 and 14 made up most of the workforce in factories worldwide, including those in the UK. Notably, the United Kingdom had a key period during the industrial revolution that aided the development of contemporary civilization. Child laborers at this time were classified into parish apprentices and free laborers.
The first kids to be introduced to the factory environment were the parish apprentice kids, mostly orphans. The parish officials were approached by wealthy factory owners who negotiated a contract allowing them to accept youngsters from the orphanages in their companies.
On the other side, “free labor” describes youngsters engaged in production factories under unsafe circumstances for very little pay. The youngsters who worked in the factories had long shifts and endured hazardous and filthy circumstances. The youngsters were also punished severely when they didn’t meet the expectations for performance at the factory.
Modern World
Between the 20th and the 21st centuries, there were much fewer children working, mostly due to the rigorous regulations put in place to prevent employers from using child labor or putting them in hazardous conditions. However, child labor is still prevalent in the world’s major cities.
Although child labor has decreased dramatically in the 21st century, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), some kids are still forced to work in appalling conditions. Seven days a week, the kids who labor in these sweatshops put in a lot of overtime without receiving a reasonable salary or, in some cases, no wage.
The forces of supply and demand are upset due to the rural-urban movement to the towns, resulting in an inflow of workers. Youngsters tend to labor more quietly and do not dispute their compensation at the end of the day. Hence most sweatshops prefer to employ children rather than adults.
The dense population of the cities further supports the existence and survival of the sweatshops. The situation in the sweatshops is further made worse by the relevant organizations’ inadequate oversight of the problem of underage labor.
