2008 Woodie Awards
Tracing a T-shirt from Texas to Tanzania
'UCSB Reads' Author Pietra Rivoli details pros and cons of global economy
Matt Crego
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: News
In the eyes of author Pietra Rivoli, politics, business, and economics are getting better as countries around the world continue battling the major issue of globalization debate.
"My challenge and excitement is to see if everyday objects can answer questions that written documents do not," said Rivoli, who wrote "The Travels of a T-shirt in a Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power and Politics of World Trade."
"I am an optimist on the future of globalization."
UCSB Arts and Lectures hosted Rivoli Wednesday night at Campbell Hall. About 600 people heard Rivoli speak about her latest book. "Travels…" is the selection of "UCSB Reads," a joint community project of the UCSB and SBCC libraries.
Preceding the speech, Borders set up a table with Rivoli's book available for purchase and signing. Rivoli, a business professor at Georgetown University, said she wrote the book after seeing her students debate and protest against globalization.
"By my own eyes I believe things are getting better," Rivoli said. "Rather than a downward spiral, my eyes see improvement."
Her book discusses major issues of globalization debate. It also illustrates how something as simple as a T-shirt can teach us about business and economics. Those in attendance were able to see the "T-shirt that was made famous" from the book. Laughs and chuckles echoed throughout the crowd as she held up the white T-shirt with a parrot printed on the front.
Rivoli's book simplifies the process of business and globalization. She traces the life of the T-shirt back to the cotton fields in Lubbock, Texas, where it was spun. The journey continues on to the production factory in Shanghai, China, back to Washington D.C. where it was purchased, ending in Tanzania's used clothing market.
"The cotton farmers in America have tenure and are protected by government subsidies," Rivoli said. "People with tenure get to write rules that protect themselves but not others."
Many people see globalization as hurtful to poorer countries like China, Rivoli noted, and believe their working conditions are not what they should be.
She told a story about a worker from the Chinese factory who came from a family that raised ducks on a farm. The worker would dress up for work everyday with wild hair and "five-inch spike heeled boots," Rivoli said.
"So my first thought was, your dad probably doesn't let you wear those boots on the duck farm," Rivoli said. "As long as she was making her own money, she could make her own choices. Her choice to wear the boots was made possible by the exploited workplace."
She explained in her book that "a lot of Americans are increasingly skeptical about international trade because it creates wealth, but they don't see the distribution of wealth as fair."
However, "Those spike heeled boots were what it was all about for that girl," Rivoli said.
For more information visit UCSB Library or UCSB Arts & Lectures.
-Matt Crego is a Journalism 101 student
"My challenge and excitement is to see if everyday objects can answer questions that written documents do not," said Rivoli, who wrote "The Travels of a T-shirt in a Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power and Politics of World Trade."
"I am an optimist on the future of globalization."
UCSB Arts and Lectures hosted Rivoli Wednesday night at Campbell Hall. About 600 people heard Rivoli speak about her latest book. "Travels…" is the selection of "UCSB Reads," a joint community project of the UCSB and SBCC libraries.
Preceding the speech, Borders set up a table with Rivoli's book available for purchase and signing. Rivoli, a business professor at Georgetown University, said she wrote the book after seeing her students debate and protest against globalization.
"By my own eyes I believe things are getting better," Rivoli said. "Rather than a downward spiral, my eyes see improvement."
Her book discusses major issues of globalization debate. It also illustrates how something as simple as a T-shirt can teach us about business and economics. Those in attendance were able to see the "T-shirt that was made famous" from the book. Laughs and chuckles echoed throughout the crowd as she held up the white T-shirt with a parrot printed on the front.
Rivoli's book simplifies the process of business and globalization. She traces the life of the T-shirt back to the cotton fields in Lubbock, Texas, where it was spun. The journey continues on to the production factory in Shanghai, China, back to Washington D.C. where it was purchased, ending in Tanzania's used clothing market.
"The cotton farmers in America have tenure and are protected by government subsidies," Rivoli said. "People with tenure get to write rules that protect themselves but not others."
Many people see globalization as hurtful to poorer countries like China, Rivoli noted, and believe their working conditions are not what they should be.
She told a story about a worker from the Chinese factory who came from a family that raised ducks on a farm. The worker would dress up for work everyday with wild hair and "five-inch spike heeled boots," Rivoli said.
"So my first thought was, your dad probably doesn't let you wear those boots on the duck farm," Rivoli said. "As long as she was making her own money, she could make her own choices. Her choice to wear the boots was made possible by the exploited workplace."
She explained in her book that "a lot of Americans are increasingly skeptical about international trade because it creates wealth, but they don't see the distribution of wealth as fair."
However, "Those spike heeled boots were what it was all about for that girl," Rivoli said.
For more information visit UCSB Library or UCSB Arts & Lectures.
-Matt Crego is a Journalism 101 student
Be the first to comment on this story