Nov. 19 Blog Post: Documentary

Just yesterday I called up my niece. She told me that she got the ToysRus catalog in the mail and had started picking out what she wants for Christmas, so when I came across a documentary looking at working conditions in toy factories I had to watch it.

I watched a documentary on Free Documentaries Online called "Santa's Workshop." This documentary looked into toy making factories in China and showed some of the working conditions inside the factories and how inhumane they were. They interviewed many people such as factory workers, factory management, toy companies, human rights activists, and European consumers.

I was shocked to see how the factory management viewed working conditions for their employees. We learned that although the management shows authorities records of wages and time cards, they are not accurate. Workers are paid to lie about the number of hours they work as well as how much they get paid. Management also says that the factory has a union the workers can join, bu they are fired if they join.
Workers in the factory they filmed in were not allowed to speak to the cameras, so they were forced to find other factory workers to interview.

The documentary also spoke with European toy companies and got their perspective on the issue. Both toy companies that were interviewed blamed the low cost of toys on the consumers. They said that consumers were not willing to pay enough for their companies to pay more for toys. They also claimed they were unaware of the working conditions in factories in China.

The video also touched on the fact that other countries, such as Thailand were now having trouble competing with the companies in China. Although they fight for better wages, their toys are not being bought because they cost more than the toys made in China.

The last person interviewed was an environmentalist who discussed the huge amount of mercury that is being deposited into China's water supply and the dangers this is causeing for the community.

This film had a clear purpose: to inform consumers as well as toy companies of the working conditions of toy factories in China. In the beginning of the film they ask consumers if they know where the toys are made, and they know they are made in another country, but do they know why the prices are low? Do they know what working conditions are like for people who make these toys? The interviews seemed to be valid and made me think twice about things.

As I start doing my Christmas shopping this year, this film will make me think twice about what I buy and what I am willing to pay for something. The treatment of these workers is not acceptable, but consumers are making it acceptable. This documentary had a clear goal to inform people about how toys we buy are made. Although we heard from European toy companies, who claim they have not seen such a problem, as well as factory management who claims to care about their workers, the film presents them as looking stupid and not caring. We hear them, but only through questions that are meant to make them sound unbelievable.

Teaching students about working conditions in other countries is a great way for students to become aware of their role as a consumer. Many clothing brands are made in other countries and produced in factories that have very similar conditions to the toy factories I saw in the documentary I watched. It would be interesting to have students see where their clothes are produced and read articles about certain companies and how they get their clothing. We could look at popular clothing stores such as the Gap, Banana Republic, Forever 21, etc. I think students would find it very interesting to see how what they pay for something impacts individuals who produce their clothing. This would help students think critically and also help them see their role as a consumer in society.