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Date Permissions Signed

5-12-2016

Date of Award

Spring 2016

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Environmental Studies

First Advisor

Berardi, Gigi M.

Second Advisor

Zaferatos, Nicholas C. (Nicholas Christos)

Third Advisor

Seltz, Jennifer

Abstract

Since 2005, more than 1,300 people in Bangladesh – the majority women – have died, while producing apparel for Western, especially United States, markets. Today, the US imports 97.5 percent of its apparel, mostly from developing countries such as Bangladesh. However, such import reliance was not always so. By examining past and present garment systems in the United States, my thesis seeks to address injustice in globalized garment systems, and suggest new directions for the future. The Rana Plaza factory collapse disaster thus is presented as a case study of injustice in globalized garment systems. In this thesis, I hypothesize that globalized garment systems stand to benefit from a critical examination using a lens of localism. Drawing from local foods research as an example of academic and cultural convergence towards improved justice, I identify critical themes from localism in foods, and apply them to globalized garment systems.

Type

Text

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25710/pqf5-gy33

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

949904822

Subject – LCSH

Clothing trade--Moral and ethical aspects--United States; Clothing trade--Accidents--Bangladesh--Case studies; Women textile workers--Bangladesh--Social conditions--Case studies; Consumer behavior--Social aspects--United States; Anti-sweatshop movement--Social aspects--United States; Social responsibility of business

Geographic Coverage

Bangladesh; United States

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this thesis for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

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