Issues in Globalization

Gr 10 Up—The term globalization—the exchange of products, information, and culture that connects economies around the world—is heard more and more frequently. This set illustrates one facet of that concept as it examines how the clothes that students wear are products of this movement and the effect that garment might have on the environment in the area where it was manufactured. Focusing on textile and fashion factories in Bangladesh, the videos describe their destructive impact on both the ecosystem and the lives of slum dwellers who work in these plants. Environmental Impacts and Sustainability takes viewers to the slums in Dhaka to show the effects of industrial pollution on the environment and on the health of the people, and then shows what is being done to clean up the manufacturing process. How Fair Is Fashion? visits homes and factories in Bangladesh and explains the striking difference between traditional and fair-trade corporations. The films stress that industrialization does not necessarily mean pollution and asks the perennial question: at what cost progress? Both programs utilize striking video footage and moving interviews with workers, industry managers, and environmentalists. English subtitles are helpful for hard-to-understand Bangladesh accents and commentary by locals. Chapter selection is a welcome option. An informative program for libraries with hefty budgets.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL