A Stellar Day

I love great days! Today was one of them. I had taught my students/kids about Command and Market economies but I wanted to figure out a way for them to apply this knowledge to the real world. This crazy world of globalization in which you pick up the phone to order a Dell Inspiron notebook computer from Tennessee and the person who answers the phone is located in Bangalore, India, who then sends the order to Penang, Malaysia that manages the ‘just in time’ processing orders. The microprocessor comes from the Philippines, the memory from Korea owned by a Taiwanese company, the graphics card from China…..until you get your computer assembled from parts from over 400 suppliers throughout the world in less than a week. A world in which, according to the book “The World IS Flat” by Thomas Friedman “No two countries that both have a McDonald’s have ever fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald’s. (Border skirmishes and civil wars don’t count, because McDonald’s usually served both sides”.

I ended up creating a tribunal/role play that dealt with the issues of ‘sustainable’ development and ethical trade. The scenario was a fictional multinational toy factory located in the US that was getting bad press because the factory workers located in China were striking for higher wages and better working conditions. The students were put in five groups: Toy Store executives in the US who contracted out manufacturing of their toys to factory owners in China, factory owners in China (the suppliers who manufacture the toys and hire low wage employees), the Chinese government, all rural women factory workers (who earned lower than minimum wage, worked 72 hours a week, had compulsory overtime, and lived 30 women to a room with little to no ventilation). The last group was an International Foundation for Ethical sourcing that had been hired to bring all the groups to together to resolve the issue of the factory workers striking for better wages and working conditions as well as to reduce the blowback for the company. These students acted as the mediators/judges/arbitrators. I told them they had to resolve the dispute of the factory workers on strike because the strikes were spreading throughout China and threatened the economic and political stability of China. This was all based on a real case study. I watched in amazement how the students reacted.

To cut to the chase the students loved the lesson and although they had learned the benefits of a market economy they also gained a better understanding of the other side of market economy that is often overlooked. The issue of TNCs locating to countries of the South because wages are lower, unions are weak, and environmental standards are low and not strictly enforced. The fight to get the lowest price on goods and the highest profit margin which may have negative affects on the workers.

The students were able to see how this idea of globalization is playing out. The demands were heated, fingers were pointed, bribes were attempted, and death threats made (just like in real life) and learning happened. They could see how hard it was to maintain codes of conduct, pay fair wages, and still make everyone happen in an ever changing world and in a country that wants more multinationals to boost the economy but walks a tight rope on how the command side for fear of losing the market side to other countries.

I had several students stay after class to ask me why people stay in jobs they don’t like or in which they mistreat people. I love it when it they question. I love it when they are engaged. These students of mine who will be running businesses of their own, be leaders of countries, making policy….it’s a good thing. One of my students asked me why these workers who mistreat people just don’t leave their jobs? I asked her what she thought. Another student chimed in to help her out and said because they are paid a lot of money and if they leave the job they probably wont find a job that pays the same amount. I ask if being paid a lot is the most important thing. I see blank stares and heads start to move from side to side. "You know," I say, "I used to have a job that paid very well and I wasn't passionate about it. Now I am a teacher. Do you think I get paid a lot?" That was a no brainer. "No, Mr. Dickey we know teachers don't make a lot of money." "But do you think I'm happy?" "Yeah, you're happy and I think that is more important than making money because you feel better and don't hurt people," my normally shy student replies. "I agree with you," I tell her. " These factory owners could always quit and do economics, " she says. When I ask her what she means she tells to me they can trade online like her. She says she has made a great sum of money e-trading on the Internet. She explains that economics is all she has known. Her parents are economists and since she has been a small child economics are all they talk about at home. Even her grandmother trades online. She says the problems we discuss are often talked about at home and apply to buying stocks. Did I mention she is in the eighth grade? Another student asks me if the workers at our school are treated fairly. Another student from a class I had earlier in the day quickly reports that the workers are quite happy and said they make a fair wage….she smiles and says she has already walked around and asked them. Did I tell you I love my job!