Blackwell Reference Online

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Sweatshops, which now spark global controversy, arose in the shadows of the emerging English factory system. Originally minor offshoots of the industrial revolution, they are now among the most ubiquitous features of global production. When “sweated labor” was first widely discussed in the 1840s, it was said to be an archaic phenomenon which should have yielded to modern industry. Critics often say similar things today. But in fact sweated labor is ancillary to factory labor, not an outdated survival. Sweatshops encircle the globe because the factory system is global. Sweated labor is a cheap supplement to industrial labor – especially, but not exclusively, in the global apparel industry. The historical dialectic of sweated and factory labor can be divided into three stages: (1) an initial phase, in Britain, culminating in the 1860s; (2) a sequel, mainly in Britain and the United States, from the 1890s until World War I; and finally, (3) a vast global renewal, which began in the 1980s and has gained momentum ever since, with no signs of abating. Many people now see sweatshops as defining phenomena of globalizing capitalism. Empirically that seems clear. But what exactly is a “sweatshop”? Theoretical clarity on this subject has been scarce, obstructed by the sheer scale and complexity of relevant trends. Once, however, the meaning of the term was clear. When “sweated labor” first ... log in or subscribe to read full text