Child Labor Laws in the United States
Ethnocentric or Culturally Relativistic
I think these views about how we think others should raise children are extremely ethnocentric. In the United States, children need an education to survive in the society. However in many developing countries, learning a good trade skill such as farming and/or carpet weaving is a necessary trade skill for them to survive. If we forced children of developing nations to go to school and not learn these trades, how would they survive when they got older? It was only 100 years ago in the United States that we allowed children to work in factories. Even today we have loopholes in the law that allow for child labor in certain regions and industries. For instance "Minors of any age may be employed by their parents at any time in any occupation on a farm owned or operated by his or her parent(s)." (U.S. Department of Labor, 2006)
The question being, are the child labor laws viewed as ethnocentric or culturally relativistic, most defiantly ethnocentric. How can a child in a third world country learning to farm be any different than a child living on the farm in the United States missing school to bring in a crop? They are both doing what it takes to make their family live and prosper the best they know how.
References:
The History Place™, 1998, "Children Labor in America, 1908 - 1912", retrieved on August 21, 2006 from http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor/index.html
U.S. Department of Labor, 2006, "Youth and Labor, Agricultural Employment", retrieved on August 21, 2006 from http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/youthlabor/Agriculturalemployment.htm
Published by Sheri Taylor
As a Single Parent, I've become a master of multi-tasking. I've worked in Managment for over 10 years and graduted with a BS of 3.92 GPA. I'm proof it can be done. View profile
- An Evolving Democracy: The United StatesAt no other time in the 200-year history of the United States has there been a greater opportunity for people to be involved in the evolution of democracy.
- New York State Labor LawsNew York is a stunning state located in the United States of America. It is one of the most famous places in the world to visit. New York has implemented specific state labor laws for protection of the rights of the e...
- Are You Ready for a Department of Labor AuditThe one that all companies have in common is that sooner or later they will have to survive a Department of Labor audit.
- Child Labor - The Pros and Con's of The Law Behind This Important Statutea look at some of the world's problems with child labor, especially in third world nations
- Queens Clothing Manufacturer Under Labor InvestigationThe New York State Department of Labor announced on July 23, 2008 in a press release that a local Queens, New York clothing manufacturer has been cited for multiple violations of New York State Labor Laws.
- Parenting in the United States: Are We Doing it Right?
- A Guide to Youth Employment Laws in the United States
- Child Labor Laws in a Nutshell
- Welfare: A Solution to Economic Human Rights in the United States
- Youth Employment in the United States: a Guide
- Repeating the Fall of Rome in the United States
- African-Americans, Racism, Inequality and Prejudice in the United States
- Child labor was outlawed because it was exploitive and deprives children of a chance to get an education.
- Children work to help run family farms and learn other useful skills that they might not otherwise learn.
- The question being, are the child labor laws viewed as ethnocentric or culturally relativistic, most defiantly ethnocentric.