NIke Class Concepts

Many of the products Nike produces are often made in foreign third world countries. Within these countries are people who do not have the resources necessary to leave their homeland and find work elsewhere. This brings hardships on their families and a daily fight for survival. The low paying wages Nike gives the people of these countries is only enough to get them by on a daily basis. These people do not experience white privilege. This is where the color of their skin and the education they posses would be enough to get a quality paying job in a more industrialized nation. Instead, they are forced to undertake a work ethic where the motivation is to make enough money for their family to survive.

A problem many people did not face in third world countries prior to industrialization was the strict slave like conditions in multinational corporations. In pre industrialization it was the norm to go to work and work hard in order to support your family. The work ethic gradually increased to set standards for workers to get the highest production returns necessary. As the post industrial era came about people became consumers. This led companies to produce more and thus provided greater profit for them. With the increase in profit came the increase in greed. Next came the outsourcing of products and not taking care of the conditions workers are subject to. Those working in these locations are the poor of the world. They are known as the “failed consumer” and are unable to live a comfortable life.

Nike is one of these companies employing the failed consumer, having a majority of their employees be paid slave wages. This leads those people to make it nearly impossible to support their family. Nike can be seen as a synopticon. The industrialization and consumerism era has done this to Nike where it can be seen as ‘the many watching the few” (multinational corporations). This is a place many businesses want to see themselves and the power they hold. This power can be used positively and negatively. Much of the negative attention comes when a corporation employs those in poor working conditions and bad wages (Nike). With the proper steps and the right moral and ethical ideal, multinational corporations can be perceived better in the global spotlight (Nike).

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