The Specific Effects of Globalization Throughout Fugitive Denim
The Specific Effects of Globalization throughout Fugitive Denim Globalization, which is best defined as the expansion of cultural, political, economical and ideological relationships regarding worldwide social exchange and interdependencies, is the underlying motif in Rachel Louise Snyder’s novel, Fugitive Denim (Conley 531). In this work, Snyder uses a theoretical pair of denim jeans to explore the workings of the global market, from the harvesting of the cotton used in making jeans to the fashion design behind the pants seen in stores around the world. Being the beneficiary of inexpensive goods, capitalist nations like the United States and much of the European Union neglect to realize their low-cost end products come about as a result of outsourcing to underdeveloped nations. While this outsourcing benefits the “overdeveloped” nations, it is often at the expense of the underdeveloped nations. In this process, Snyder explores a variety of interrelated social issues, specifically the relationships between inequality, corporations and gender and separately the issues of exploitation, capitalism and consumption. Throughout Fugitive Denim, inequality is discussed as a broad concept that can be used to describe the global inequality, social structure and gender issues within a nation. On the worldwide scale, “there is no question that global inequality has been steadily rising over the last few centuries” (Conley 253). Geography is one aspect that played a role in industrializing nations and although it is not specifically addressed in the novel, geography can be seen as a reason for inequality. The particular climate of a region determined what crops could or could not be grown, which is a major factor in defining an industry. Azerbaijan is able to grow cotton, but the related industry only ever expanded enough to support harvesting cotton leaving out the other aspects involved with the production that crop. After talking with an Azeri cotton farmer,
Cited: Brunsma, David L. "Introduction to Sociology." Lecture. Conley, Dalton. You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking like a Sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2011. Print. Snyder, Rachel Louise. Fugitive Denim: A Moving Story of People and Pants in the Borderless World of Global Trade. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2008. Print. Wyse, Jennifer "Introduction to Sociology." Lecture: History of Global Capitalization.