Description
This project-based learning module engages undergraduate students in investigating sweatshops and labor exploitation within the fashion industry through hands-on data collection and analysis. Students visit high-end and mid-range retail stores to collect data on pricing, materials, country of manufacture, and brand information, then use Excel to analyze patterns and trends. Through their analysis, students develop evidence-based arguments about fair wages, ethical consumption, and the relationship between price and labor conditions. The module connects quantitative reasoning skills with civic engagement, preparing students to critically evaluate data-driven arguments about social justice issues. By formulating their own research questions and presenting findings, students practice the kind of inquiry essential for informed democratic participation.
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Topics
- Civil & Human Rights
- Leading with Integrity, Public Ethics
- Truth, Information & Media
Resource Type
- Interactive Exercise or Project
- Research Project
Time Commitment
- Multiple Sessions
Materials Needed
Fieldwork:
- Clipboards or notebooks (for recording data in stores)
- Printed data collection templates
- Smartphones/cameras (For documenting clothing labels)
Technology:
- Internet access
- Computers or laptops with spreadsheet software (Excel or Google Sheets)
Classroom Supplies:
- Markers
Recommended or Required Reading
Reading materials
- Fast Fashion Getting Faster: A Look at The Unethical Labor Practices Sustaining a Growing Industry
- Exploitation and sweatshops are at the core of fast fashion: It's time to dismantle the system
- The Not-So-Hidden Ethical Cost Of Fast Fashion: Sneaky Sweatshops In Our Own Backyard
Special Instructions
This module requires fieldwork, in which students visit retail stores to collect data directly from clothing labels and tags. For institutions located in metropolitan areas with access to a variety of retail stores across price points (fast fashion, mid-range, and luxury), in-person data collection is ideal and straightforward to implement.
For institutions where physical access to retail stores is limited, instructors can adapt the module for online data collection. Most retail stores, regardless of price range, maintain an online presence with product images that include tags displaying country of origin, fabric composition, and pricing information. Students can collect comparable data by systematically browsing store websites, making this module accessible to a wide range of institutional contexts.