Ethical, social and economic issues in the textile industry: working conditions and pay in the global supply chain, child labour, fair trade, ethical sourcing, the economic role of the industry, and inclusive and culturally aware design.

What this key area is asking

Behind every garment is a global supply chain of people, and SQA Higher expects you to understand the ethical, social and economic issues that raises: working conditions and pay, child labour, fair trade and ethical sourcing, the economic role of the industry, and inclusive, culturally aware design. This connects to the ethical factor in consumer choice and to sustainability. Marks come from explaining the issue and how an action such as fair trade addresses it.

Working conditions, pay and child labour

• Working conditions. Garment workers, often in low-income countries, may face unsafe factories, excessive hours and little job security.
• Pay. Wages are often below a living wage, keeping workers in poverty even though the goods sell for far more elsewhere.
• Child labour. Children may be used in fibre growing or manufacture, which exploits them and denies them education.
• Worker safety. High-profile factory disasters have shown the human cost when safety is sacrificed for low costs.

Fair trade, ethical sourcing and transparency

• Fair trade guarantees producers a fair price and decent conditions, can fund community projects, and bans child labour, so workers earn a living wage and are not exploited.
• Ethical sourcing means brands audit their suppliers for safety, pay and the absence of child labour, and choose suppliers who meet standards.
• Transparency means brands show where and how their products are made, which consumers increasingly demand and which holds the industry to account.

The economic role of the industry

The textile and fashion industry is a major employer and exporter, providing jobs and income in many countries and being important to some national economies. This is why the ethical aim is usually better conditions and fair pay (decent work) rather than withdrawing production, which could remove livelihoods. Balancing economic benefit against ethical responsibility is part of the debate.

Inclusive and culturally aware design

Designers have a social responsibility to design for everyone: offering a full size range, adaptive clothing for older or disabled people, and styles that respect cultural and religious dress. Inclusive, culturally aware design widens the market and treats consumers fairly.

Examples in context

Example 1. A fair-trade cotton brand. A brand uses fair-trade certified cotton, guaranteeing growers a fair price and decent conditions and banning child labour. The certification reassures ethically minded consumers and improves growers' incomes, showing how ethical sourcing can be a selling point as well as a responsibility.

Example 2. Adaptive and inclusive ranges. A retailer adds an adaptive clothing line (easy fastenings, seated fits) and an extended size range, and offers styles suited to different cultural needs. This inclusive, culturally aware design meets the social responsibility to design for everyone and opens the brand to a wider market.

Try this

Q1. State two ethical issues linked to the way clothes are manufactured. [2 marks]

• Cue. Unsafe working conditions; pay below a living wage; long working hours; child labour; weak worker safety (any two).

Q2. Explain one social responsibility a designer has towards consumers. [2 marks]

• Cue. Inclusive design - offering a full size range, adaptive clothing for older or disabled wearers, and styles that respect cultural and religious dress - so that the item suits and treats all consumers fairly.