Free «Anthropology: Impact of Apparel Industries on Humans and the Environment» Essay Sample

Introduction Apparel Industry

The paper will analyze production processes in the apparel industries. Apparel industry is of interest in this research since it is among the earliest industries in the world which developed during the industrial revolution in the United States (Abernathy, Frederick,  Anthony & David 38).

Aim

The aim of the report is to analyze the impact of the apparel industry on humanity and the environment in general.

Resources

The resources used in the research are two articles related to the topic.

Primary Countries in which the Commodity is Produced

Numerous countries are involved in the production of apparel products with most of the industries being located in the developing nations (Abernathy, Frederick, Anthony & David 38). Businesses prefer establishing their factories in the developing nations because of cheap labor present there. The primary countries involved in the production of the apparel industries are Canada, India, Bangladesh, Brazil and the U.S.

Labor Conditions under the Commodity being Produced

Labor conditions under which the commodity is being produced are rather poor. Company buildings are not build according to the standards required for production industries. Factories do not usually have good ventilation and enough space required for such an industry. In addition, the number of people working there is very big compared to the space available. This results to the congestion of the place, thus increasing the probability of occurrences of accidents in the area. The areas do not also have firefighting equipment as well as disaster management facilities.

Environmental Conditions of the Production Process

The production processes related to the apparel industry may cause environmental pollution. For instance, during fire outbreaks harmful chemical substances are released in the atmosphere. In addition, companies do not have good affluent disposal, thus ending up polluting the air. The production of raw materials like cotton involves the use of pesticides that pollute the environment (Levinsohn & Wendy 47).

Effect of the Production Process on People in the Relevant Regions

There are both positive and negative effects associated with the production of apparel on the people who live in proximity to factories. One of the positive factors is that the industry creates employment for the people. As a result, people may improve their living conditions. In addition, the regions where production takes place experience overall development. However, the apparel industries are also associated with certain negative impacts on the people living in close proximity. Families of the people living around these facilities are the ones who constitute a large percentage of employees working there. Sometimes accidents featuring injuries or even death may occur due to hazards of the industry. Such disasters mostly take place as a result of factors that could be prevented and when they occur families are never compensated (Levinsohn & Wendy 47). Production facilities also pollute the environment around them, thus contributing to health deterioration of local inhabitants.

Health Effects Associated with the Consumption of the Product

Various clothing pieces may have adverse effects on human health when worn. Skinny jeans and underwear can cause permanent nerve damage. Fabrics like silk and nylon invoke skin irritation. High heels provoke muscle fatigue and shortening as well as feet deformation. In general, negative health effects caused by apparel mostly depend on the materials used in clothing manufacturing and on the way certain outfits are worn.

Environmental Effects Associated with the Consumption of the Product

The impacts include depletion of important resources used in apparel manufacture. Such resources include fuels and water. Greenhouse gases emission is another negative impact resulting from apparel production. In addition, some types of clothing are difficult to recycle, like synthetic fabrics (Levinsohn & Wendy 47).

Dominant Corporations Producing, Processing, Distributing and Selling Apparel Products

The companies associated with producing, processing, distributing and selling apparel products include the Angelica Corporation, Acknit Industries Ltd. in India and Denier Leather in Canada. The worldwide distributors of the apparel products are Nike, Wal-Mart, Adidas, Eagle Trade Group and many others.

Other Important Facts Regarding the Commodity

The history of the apparel industry dates back to the industrial revolution in the US. A lot of people moved from other countries to the USA in search of jobs. The majority of these individuals were women and children. The period marked the beginning of sweats shop in the world. Sweat shop refers to an organization that violates at least one of the labor rights. Apparel facilities are mostly operated as sweat shops since the salary their owners pay their employees is below the wage bill. An interesting fact is that third world countries do not ensuring that apparel manufacturers follow the labor laws. The governments are afraid that doing that will lower their revenue, the most of which comes from export of apparel products (Levinsohn & Wendy 47).

Conclusion

From the report generated after the analysis of articles it is evident that the apparel industry is associated with some negative impact to the society. It also causes environmental degradation and violation of some of the human rights.