Foxconned Labour as the Dark Side of the Information Age
Working Conditions at Apple’s Contract Manufacturers in China
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21187604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Merton Sandoval (0000-0002-0007-2309, City, University of London, corresponding author), Marisol Sandoval (City, University of London) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 318-347 |
| Publication date | 2013-07-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | tripleC Communication Capitalism & Critique Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1726-670X • E-ISSN: 1726-670X |
| Publisher | Information Society Research (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.31269/triplec.v11i2.481 |
| OpenAlex | W4252529259 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
Apple is one of the most dominant and most admired computer companies in the world. But hidden behind the clean surface of Apple’s advanced gadgets lies a dirty world of work. This paper focuses on the dark side of the information age by looking at working conditions in the workshops of Apple’s contract manufacturers in China. For this purpose I suggest a systematic model of working conditions that can be used for assessing and comparing work in different industries. Departing from Karl Marx’s circuit of capital it identifies elements that shape working conditions throughout the capital accumulation process including productive forces, relations of production, the production process, products, and labour legislation. Subsequently I apply this model to the realm of electronics manufacturing. Based on research conducted by corporate watchdogs this paper provides detailed insights into the work and life reality of workers in Apple’s first tier supplier factories. An analysis of Apple’s response to labour rights allegations furthermore reveals three ideological patterns that rather obscure existing problems than offering viable solutions
Business · China · Commerce · Economics · Great Rift · Ideology · Industrial organization · Labour economics · Law and economics · Legislation · Market economy · Microeconomics · Political science · Politics · Realm · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Computer Science · Digital Economy and Work Transformation · Engineering · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Law · Marketing · Mechanical Engineering
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ICT for development and the novel principles of the Sustainable Development Goals
Unfree Wage Labour
Capitalism, Patriarchy, Slavery, and Racism in the Age of Digital Capitalism and Digital Labour
The new Victorians? Celebrity charity and the demise of the welfare state
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2023 (10) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |