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Global Division of Labour

In: Social Issues

Submitted By liltheart
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Global Division of Labour
Embossed on the back of every Macbook, Iphone and Ipad reads: “Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China.” “Why has Apple outsourced virtually all of its manufacturing overseas?” wonders President Obama (Rawson,2012). Why can’t more US-based consumer electronics and computer companies do their manufacturing work domestically, helping to create American jobs and boost the struggling economy? In the States the infrastructure and labour force does not exist at the levels necessary to support Apple’s operations, but is the answer really that simple? In this essay we will concentrate on global division of labour and determine what it is by examining theories of uneven devolopment of labour. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages it brings to society. Concrete examples will be given to review its complex and apparently contradictory social implications.

Division of labour is cooperative labour divided into an enormous number of different specialized occupations (Giddens,1993:493). Looking at theories of uneven development will give us a better understanding of global division of labour. Two theories stand for uneven development. The first being the world system theory developed by Immanuel Wallerstein. Wallerstein argues that world order was created by capitalism and not nation states. This theory refers to inter-regional and transnational division of labour. It divides the world into core countries, semi-periphery countries and the periphery countries. Core countries focus on higher skill, capital-intensive production, and the rest of the world focuses on low-skill, labor-intensive production and extraction of raw materials. This constantly reinforces the dominance of the core countries. Globalisation is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other

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