Instead of writing a blog post this week, I'm going to put out a question for debate - Please answer in the comments below.
A comment last week by my friend and fellow activist Nikhil got me thinking. Child labor is both an economic and social problem. Addressing only one of those issues will never solve the problem.
Economically, child labor is a result of financial hardship and poverty. Poverty and child labor are inextricably linked together, and child labor allows the cycle of poverty to propagate generation after generation. Cash transfers and income security seem to be a way of taking care of this side.
Socially, child labor is an entrenched norm in many cultures. Though poverty may be the root cause of child labor, child labor is now an establishment in many areas around the world, and uprooting that is extremely important as well. Educating people about the dangers of child labor seems to be a potential solution to this problem.
So what is your opinion? Is child labor more of a social or economic problem, or an equal measure of both? Again, please post our thought in the comments below!
Economically, child labor is a result of financial hardship and poverty. Poverty and child labor are inextricably linked together, and child labor allows the cycle of poverty to propagate generation after generation. Cash transfers and income security seem to be a way of taking care of this side.
Socially, child labor is an entrenched norm in many cultures. Though poverty may be the root cause of child labor, child labor is now an establishment in many areas around the world, and uprooting that is extremely important as well. Educating people about the dangers of child labor seems to be a potential solution to this problem.
So what is your opinion? Is child labor more of a social or economic problem, or an equal measure of both? Again, please post our thought in the comments below!
Child labor is a more economic issue. Without, as you said, poverty child labor would not exist. It is not just that families send their children to work, because they were, or it is a cultural norm. No, it is the fact that an extra dollar or two a day can determine a families survival. I believe that if somehow poverty was extinguished and schools were established everywhere in the world, then slowly but steadily child labor would go down.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Child Labor is an economic issue, but it is moreso a social issue. Sufficient social pressures on government (local, state, federal) would diminish the ocurrence. Same for companies. Because people are willing to turn a blind eye to this, and companies are making more money, nobody is willing to stem the tide.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your views that Child labour has its roots in both social and economic causes. If we think about it, why would someone send their child to work. For them the income earned by child is going to help their family. If a child earns Rs 100 a day, its going to feed their family. Now even if the government is willing to give them 100 rupees a day so that the kid goes to school, the problem would not be solved. The family now expects the child to earn 200 a day. The best way IMO is to enforce laws and have residential schools where there are proper amenties and the parents are paid the Rs 100 everyday
ReplyDelete