Corporate social responsibility: Our modern apparel industry, human rights impacts and the purchasing power of the consumer

Human rights abuses, often equivalent to contemporary slavery, are thriving in today's global apparel manufacturing world. This thesis examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the apparel industry and consumer perspective on the social impact of buying clothing. The actions major apparel brands take to ensure access to fair and healthy work conditions for outsourced labor are observed. Human rights, free and fair trade, the supply chain, slavery and incidences of poor working conditions in the apparel industry are considered, while juxtaposed with an examination of the understanding and drive of the consumer. Data in the form of an online survey and subsequent interviews was collected to answer the questions: if apparel companies are taking action to prevent social issues in their supply chain, then why are major inhumanities connected to the apparel industry and are consumers aware of their purchasing impact? This collected data was utilized to investigate consumer awareness of the impact consumer choice has on human rights. This was examined using a theoretical framework focused on capitalism, political economy, neoliberal economics, modernity, and globalization. The consumer was considered through the lens of identity, image and the notion of the Self and the Other. Normative Stakeholder Theory, Development & Underdevelopment Theory and World Systems Theory were employed to foundationally understand the dilemma involved with the appalling work conditions involved with manufacturing clothing to feed the consumer needs of the Western world.