Literature Review: Complete

I just finished and submitted my Literature Review... What a relief. I hope I did well on it (thankfully, I remembered to put this submission in MLA format).

Response to a Comment

"I would be interested in reading a bit about what, off the top of your head, do you think the solution is?"

I think that the U.S. needs to slowly but surely start bringing jobs back from overseas. I realize that our priorities for domestic production seem to be high-tech goods, but everyday goods like clothing and housewares should be just as important. Our country shifted from primarily producing low tech (clothing, housewares) to high tech goods. What happens when China's priorities shift too? Will we simply continue to prey on more and more impoverished countries to produce our low-cost goods? Bringing jobs back will ensure that international issues will not affect our own necessary everyday products.

Mid-April Playlist

Here's a sample of what I've been listening to lately:

New Order - Age of Consent
I've always had trouble waking up on time in the morning. Listening to this song when I wake up seems to help me get going and start working.

Theophilus London - Flying Overseas
Flying overseas, overseas production... I thought this was appropriate.

Vampire Weekend - Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac cover)
More of a personal song- how I'm feeling right now.

Diamond Rings - Something Else
I've always thought that quality clothing was really something else...

The Kills - Future Starts Slow
The Kills are probably my favorite band right now, and their new album Blood Pressures was no disappointment. This song best portrays the mood I've been in lately.

Research Proposal

It seems too often that I hear people state “everything is made in China.” Why is this? Surely the reduced cost of production seems to be the driving force, but how much do companies really save? For my research argument paper, I would like to explore outsourcing, and the production of goods overseas.
I would like to focus on the production of clothing. Although products ranging from furniture to computers are produced overseas, I think clothing is very relatable. Everyone wears clothing, and likely clothing that was not produced in the United States. I’ve always thought that the exceptional quality and materials warranted the high price of designer clothing. With companies like Burberry and Ralph Lauren producing much of their clothing in China, are you really paying for superior quality?
I feel that the outsourcing of production for American goods is not advisable for our country. Such production increases our dependency on foreign nations, and indirectly links the U.S. to foreign affairs. Foreign labor strikes and law changes will affect the goods produced for America. Not to mention the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs takes those jobs away from Americans. In a time of economic recession, it seems that America can use all of the jobs it can get its hands on. What better time than now to start bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S?
Not only does overseas production negatively affect the U.S. job market, it also negatively affects overseas workers. Working conditions are often not ideal, and labor laws tend to be much more lax in other countries. By providing jobs for people of other countries, we are increasing the likelihood that younger and younger workers will seek jobs.
For my research paper, I would like to learn more about the world of outsourcing. I want to learn about the labor laws that affect workers both here and overseas, and how these laws affect production. I hope to gain a better-informed opinion on the subject of outsourcing.

Interesting Article

Its shocking to think that "In the U.S. apparel market, domestic production fell from 41 percent in the late 1990s to just 3 percent in 2008."

However, it seems that some American clothing manufacturers have seen a rise in business as of late.

Read the Businessweek article here:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_14/b4222057084776.htm