Abstract
Drawing on Marxist/socialist feminism, political philosophy, critical race theory, de/postcolonial thought, and political economy, Global sweatshops: A feminist theory of exploitation and resistance offers an in-depth and intersectional analysis of sweatshop labor and global supply chains within the context of globalized capitalism. Rather than treating sweatshop labor as a moral aberration, the monograph reconceptualizes it as a structural and persistent feature of racialized and gendered capitalism. Through a critical and rigorous theoretical synthesis, the book not only challenges the liberal individualistic path of labor rights, but also relocates collective resistance as the core path to achieving transitional justice.
The book comprises five chapters, along with an introduction and a conclusion. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the key features characterizing sweatshop labor relations, including excessively low wages, extended working hours, hazardous health and safety conditions, precarious contracts, and restrictions on unionizing. It highlights the reality that global outsourcing not only expands the scale of subcontracting but also establishes a capital-dominated mode of labor employment, thereby increasing the vulnerability of sweatshop workers. Chapter 2 offers a critique of micro-level perspectives (MLPs) through the lens of non-ideal theory on two fronts: they abstract sweatshop labor from its structural context, falsely separating structure from agency, and their normative principles offer limited analytical value for assessing real-world labor relations.
Chapter 3 showcases a structural critique of sweatshop labor, grounded in Karl Marx’s theory of exploitation and capitalism. It then probes into Marxist/socialist feminist perspectives that elucidate the interconnections between capitalism, gender oppression, and racial oppression. The author contends that these forms of domination are intricately linked within the nexus of production and social reproduction. Chapter 4 develops the concept of structural vulnerability, showing how sweatshop workers — positioned as gendered, racialized, and migrant — are systematically dominated and oppressed within exploitative labor relations. Drawing on Iris Marion Young’s theory of structural injustice, Chapter 5 examines the accountability of actors implicated in sweatshop labor and considers what actions are required for emancipatory change. It points out that sweatshop labor is not the product of individual moral failings, but rather a consequence of unjust global structures that are entrenched, pervasive, and enduring.
This is a thought-provoking and useful book with several notable strengths. On the one hand, by integrating Marxist theories of exploitation with feminist perspectives, it presents an innovative and intersectional analysis of how contemporary sweatshops operate through gendered and racialized divisions of labor. This approach provides a fresh lens for understanding the conditions of contemporary sweatshop workers. On the other hand, the book proposes compelling strategies for improving labor conditions, emphasizing the importance of transnational solidarity practices — such as the anti-sweatshop and fair trade movements — as crucial vehicles for sustaining global activism and resistance against injustice.
Nonetheless, the book does have certain limitations. While the book aspires to a transnational feminist perspective and thoughtfully references postcolonial scholars such as Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Serene Khader, its theoretical framework remains primarily grounded in Western feminist and political theory. This reliance on Global North perspectives — particularly those of Iris Marion Young and Sally Haslanger — offers important conceptual clarity but may underrepresent the diversity of labor experiences across different cultural and regional contexts. The discussion focuses mainly on South and Southeast Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia, with limited engagement with regions such as Africa, Latin America, or the Middle East. As a result, the book’s call for global solidarity, though compelling, might have benefited from a broader range of local voices and situated knowledges.
Overall, Global sweatshops is a theoretically robust and politically engaged academic work. Its analysis of structural injustice, transnational responsibility, and modes of resistance reflects a deep normative commitment and strong philosophical insight. The book will be especially valuable for scholars and researchers in feminist sociology, feminist economics, global justice theory, labor ethics, development studies, anthropology, Marxist theory, and postcolonial studies.
