The Power to Choose: Bangladeshi Garment Workers in London and Dhaka [Paperback]

Naila Kabeer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2002

Naila Kabeer examines the lives of women workers in different urban centers to shed light on the question of what constitutes 'fair' competition in international trade.

In this path-breaking study, social economist Naila Kabeer examines the lives of Bangladeshi garment workers in Bangladesh and Britain to shed light on the question of what constitutes 'fair' competition in international trade. She argues that if the unhealthy coalition of multinationals and labor movements is truly seeking to improve the working conditions for women and children in the 'Third World', as well as those of Western workers, their efforts should be directed away from an attempt to impose labor standards and towards a support for the organization of labor rights. Any attempt to devise acceptable labor standards at an international level which takes no account of the forces of inclusion and exclusion with local labor markets is, she further argues, likely to represent the interests of the powerful at the expense of those of the weak.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fascinating study of how women workers at two geographic poles of the global garment industry view their lives and work. Textured, ethically probing and challenging – a must read for anyone concerned about the impact of globalisation on workers. (Gita Sen )

Kabeer has provided valuable statistical data and informative personal testimonies on the lives of an often neglected section of women workers. (Socialist Review )

About the Author

Naila Kabeer is a Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. She has worked extensively on issues related to gender and development in Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. She is the author of Reversed Realities: Gender Hierarchies in Development Thought, also published by Verso.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Verso (August 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859842062
• ISBN-13: 978-1859842065
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,086,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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3.0 out of 5 stars Decent, but Repetitive, July 4, 2011

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This review is from: The Power to Choose: Bangladeshi Garment Workers in London and Dhaka (Paperback)

I purchased this book for an introductory course on sociology and globalization.

Although many of my classmates enjoyed this book, I personally found it repetitive and tiring. There is certainly a lot to learn from this book, and Kabeer provides powerful evidence of the many facets of these women's lives, but the writing and organization was discouraging. I felt that she could condense this book to about half of its size by removing her occasionally "meta" writing style. Her summaries and inclusion of the quotes from actual women are excellent, but the analysis in between felt unimportant or already noted.

For those interested in or researching female textile workers throughout the world, I would suggest this book, as well as Factory Girls by Leslie Chang. Otherwise, I would suggest reading the summaries and the quotes only.