advanced theory and practice in sport marketing - Marshalls University

ETHICS IN SPORT RETAIL MANAGEMENT: SELLING SPORT
PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY CHILD LABOR
Children working in the Pakistani soccer ball industry and in the garment
sector of Bangladesh received much attention because they were working in
industries that produced goods destined for export to the United States. But
children in export manufacturing industries represent only a tiny share of all
child labor.
About 120 million children 5–14 years of age work full-time in the developing
world. If part-time work is included, the number of children working
grows to 250 million. Even this figure is probably an underestimate because
it excludes unpaid work that does not make its way into the market, such as
the work of children – particularly girls – who stay home to do household
chores or watch over younger siblings. Probably less than 5% of all child
workers are employed in export industries in manufacturing and mining,
according to the US Department of Labor. The vast majority of children who
work – over 70% – do so in agriculture.
The best predictor of the incidence of child labor is poverty. Child labor
declines steeply as one moves from low-income to high-income countries,
notes Princeton economist Alan Krueger. Asia, the most densely populated
region of the world, has the largest number of child workers, but it is in
poverty-stricken Africa where highest proportion of children work. About
20% of African children aged 5–14 work full-time – a little under 40 million
children. Eighty million children work if part-time work is included. In countries
where 1990 income per capita exceeded $5000, the employment of children
was negligible, says Krueger.
The relationship between poverty and child labor is also true within countries.
A range of studies in settings as varied as contemporary Côte d’Ivoire
and 19th century Philadelphia have found that the incidence of child labor
decreases as family income rises. Because of this, many believe that economic
growth – if evenly distributed – is a key factor in reducing child labor.
Yet, the issue is not just poverty. Cultural factors also play an important
role. In many instances, whether a child works or not depends on such factors
as gender, religion, or social caste. In his work on child labor in India,
MIT political scientist Myron Weiner pointed out that India’s incidence of
child labor was higher than that of some countries with lower income per
capita. He speculated that religious beliefs and India’s hierarchical caste system
have prevented education from playing an equalizing role in society.
“Those who control the education system are remarkably indifferent to the
low enrollment and high dropout rate among the lowest social classes,” he
writes. “The result is one of the highest child labor rates in the world.”
In terms of work hazards, children are more susceptible to injuries or
work-related illnesses than adults doing the same type of work. The greatest
number of illnesses and injuries occur in agriculture, not surprisingly, given
the number of children working in that sector. But the likelihood of injury is
286 ADVANCED THEORY AND PRACTICE IN SPORT MARKETING