Corporations and Human Rights

Bousquet, Marc. Sweatshop. 2009. Accessed 31 Mar. 2011.
<http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/DGreen/researchhypertext/litreview.html>

In general the protection of human rights is not a considered a corporate responsibility.  The federal government and many state governments fail to impose sufficient human rights laws on corporations.  Corporations are very powerful units that severely impact the wellbeing of communities and individuals wherever they operate.  They have had detrimental effects on human rights protection in developing countries and developed countries as well.  According to David Kinley a professor of law at Monash University since 1999 there has been an increased interest worldwide to make corporations responsible for protecting human rights (7).  Many developing countries abuse their own people through police and military brutality, forced child labor, violation of freedom of association, speech, and religion, and infringement on property rights.    Studies from Kinley show that in 2001 39 pharmaceutical companies in South Africa fought to prevent a new law from being passes which would have lowered the price of prescription drugs in a country where the poverty rate is high (9).  That is extremely unethical for corporations to be able to control the price of prescription drugs so that they are ridiculously high especially in an area with a soaring poverty rate.  Those high prices force people to spend extra money on the medications they need and not have much money left for food or other necessary items.  Kinley also mentions that Nike is notorious for running sweatshops in less developed countries (10).  It is also immoral to deeply exploit a mass amount of people just to maximize profits.  In developed countries corporations mistreat their own people by infringing on environmental rights, violation of privacy rights, and unethical use of people’s personal information such as medical records.  Kinley states that many corporations in America and Canada have ignored patent protection laws to heighten their proceeds (9).  That causes many people to not trust corporations with their ideas and lowers people’s enthusiasm which could cause the economy to decline.  Richard Eskow from the Huffington Post insists that many insurance companies misuse medical information to decide who they should insure and what price they pay for it (par 2).  This means that the people that really need health insurance could be forced to pay higher rates than everybody else or be denied coverage.  Eskow also reasons that if a regular person committed the crimes that a great deal of corporations have committed then that person would be sentenced to prison (par 13).  This means that numerous corporations are getting away with heinous crimes that should have a severe punishment.  Corporations need to work hard to protect human rights or else the world will turn into a place where corporations dominate everything while having no responsibilities. 

Works Cited

Bousquet, Marc. Sweatshop. 2009. Accessed 31 Mar. 2011. <http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/DGreen/researchhypertext/litreview.html>

Eskow, Richard. MadisonWorld: A Future Where Corporations Have Human Rights… and Humans Don’t. 23 March 2011. 31 March 2011 <http://www.ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/eskow20110323>.

Kinley, David. Multinational corporations and human rights. February 2002. 31 March 2011 <http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/projects/arc_kinley.pdf>.

Corporations’ Power Over Education

Winter, Tim. Wamego High School. 2005. Wamego Public Schools.
Accessed 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usd320.k12.ks.us/HighSchool/>

Corporations are starting to have a more aggressive influence on the U.S. education system and transforming it into a big business. Many low scoring school districts feel obligated to pay for heavily scripted curriculum programs in order to boost their test results which would heighten the school’s reputation.  According to Alfie Kohn most of these programs that schools purchase in order to raise their test scores are owned by McGraw-Hill (par 3).  Kohn also says that McGraw-Hill has gained support from many influential politicians such as Charlotte Frank and George Bush (par 3).  The massive profit made by this company does not explain why many teachers and students depend greatly on the test results for their curriculum and future.  According to Julie Light the many publically traded education companies are growing faster than the Dow Jones Average (par 3).  Light also claims that the science curriculum for numerous schools are determined by corporations such as Proctor and Gamble, Dupont, and Exxon (par 1).  This corporate power over the curriculum required to be taught at public schools could be detrimental to the entire education system.  With that much power they could force public schools to teach their students to support large corporations and try to manipulate them to do things that would be harmful to them but beneficial to corporations.  Corporations could also mandate that public schools refuse to teach certain things that make corporations look bad and withhold vital information from people so corporations can make even more money.  Light also reports that a great deal of corporations will donate money to a school so they can build or fund something in exchange for the right to actively sell their products at that school (par 2).  According to Light Pepsi provided $2 million for a school in Colorado to build a new football stadium and in exchange Pepsi was granted rights to sell its products at that school (par 2).  It is estimated that Pepsi will earn $7.3 million in seven years from that school alone (par 2).  The power that corporations have over the products that are marketed and sold to children in public schools could encourage many children to be manipulated into buying many things that they do not need.  Many students in high school carry their habits with them into their adulthood and if they overspend their money it would be disparaging effects for much of the U.S. population.  Corporations have too much power over the public education system.   People need to take a more active role to push corporations away from public schools and make sure that public school students make better choices to promote a better world. 

Works Cited

Kohn, Alfie. The Corporate Role in the High-stakes Testing Obsession & Other Methods of Turning Education into a Business. October 2002. 17 March 2011 <http://reclaimdemocracy.org/weekly_article/corporate_influence_education_kohn.html>.

Light, Julie. The Education Industry: The Corporate Takeover of Public Schools. 8 July 1998. 17 March 2011 <http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=889>.

Winter, Tim. Wamego High School. 2005. Wamego Public Schools. Accessed 17 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usd320.k12.ks.us/HighSchool/>

Corporations’ Influence on Children

Oates, Jen. Young Boy Watching Television. 2010. Accessed
3 Mar. 2011. <http://www.mamapop.com/2010/12/the-magic-in-
the-machines-why-i-pink-puffy-heart-my-dvr.html/young-boy-
watching-television>

Major corporations can greatly influence and control the mainstream media.  Many of them own media stations and media outlets.  These large corporations are also making lots of money and are able to spend more and more money on sophisticated was to make people buy their products.  Children are major targets of advertising and its impact is greater than usual because it lessens the effect that their parents and others in the older generation have on them.  According to Melissa Dittmann of the American Psychological Association corporations spend about $12 billion per year on ads targeting children (par 1).  Dittmann also states that the average child watches around 40,000 television commercials each year (par 1).  Many children do not have the ability to recognize the persuasive intent of advertisements.  Most children can remember what happened in an advertisement and have a desire for the product after viewing just one commercial.  Dr. Brian Wilcox believes that advertisements can influence a child’s behavior as well (par 11).  As an example Wilcox says that when a child watches an ad for healthy food and then watches an ad for snack food at the same sitting then the ad for healthy food loses its effectiveness (par 11).  This type of advertising that encourages children to eat sugary, greasy, unhealthy foods could be increasing the rate of childhood obesity.  Also most people’s childhood eating habits continue throughout their adult life.  Studies from the Anti-Defamation League show that advertising could also affect a child’s views about their self image which could increase their stress levels and could possibly lead to depression (par 2).  Many children watch T.V. or surf the internet without any parental guidance there to explain to them what is actually going on.  According to Dr. Dale Kunkel children automatically think that ads are fair and truthful and cannot tell if something is exaggerated or bias (par 14).  Also studies from Dittmann have shown that big corporations use psychological research to make the message of their ads more powerful (par 16).  Many corporations use characters and celebrities such as SpongeBob SquarePants to lure children in.  To stop the damaging effects that corporations have on children parents need to get more involved in their child’s life and make sure that their child is not being manipulated or misled by anything.  

Works Cited

Anti-Defamation League. Media Influence and Self-Image. 2001. 3 March 2011 <http://www.adl.org/what_to_tell/whattotell_media.asp>.

Dittmann, Melissa. Protecting children from advertising. June 2004. 3 March 2011 <http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/protecting.aspx>.

Oates, Jen. Young Boy Watching Television. 2010. Accessed 3 Mar. 2011. <http://www.mamapop.com/2010/12/the-magic-in-the-machines-why-i-pink-puffy-heart-my-dvr.html/young-boy-watching-television>

Positive Effects of Corporations

Loviza, Amanda. Kroger’s Produce Aisle. 2010. Accessed 27 Feb.
2011. <http://fgscholars.com/farmtofork/archives/595>

Many people only see the negative side of corporations and fail to recognize the many positive effects that corporations can have on the general public.  Almost all corporations contribute to economical growth through their investments, products, and services.  Many corporations can convert their knowledge into practical results such as their products and services, especially in the agriculture and health industries.  Corporations are also responsible for the advancement of technology and making those technologies available for the general public.  In addition patents safeguard the ideas and results of inventors and entrepreneurs that are outside of corporations.  According to the Novartis Foundation many corporations’ policies are determined by economic criteria such as market size, and availability of raw materials, not by the government trying to extend its range of power (par 7).  Corporations provide many job opportunities to the general public and training in a wide array of areas as well.  They are also responsible for much of the research that is done and putting that new knowledge about something to a use in a way that benefits not only themselves but the general public as a whole.  According to Anup Shah corporations also help increase the country’s export income (par 6).  Corporations can also manufacture certain goods and provide certain services, such as food and medicine that are impossible for small business to provide because the market is too big.   They also increase the productivity of labor through globalization.  Studies from the Novartis Foundation show that corporations usually pay wages that are significantly higher than other traditional jobs (par 4).  In addition they motivate entrepreneurship by increasing business competition.  Corporations are also a source of tax revenue for the government.  There are many positive things that corporations contribute to society.  It would be extremely difficult for the general public to provide the goods and services that are needed for everyday life, such as food and clothes, to the entire country.  Corporations allow people to move on with their life so they do not have to grow their own food or provide everyday things for themselves.  Corporations allow people to have more freedom and are essential for America to function prosperously. 

Works Cited

Loviza, Amanda. Kroger’s Produce Aisle. 2010. Accessed 27 Feb. 2011. <http://fgscholars.com/farmtofork/archives/595>.

Novartis Foundation . The Effect of Multinational Companies on Development. 2000. 27 February 2011 <http://www.urbana.org/articles/the-effect-of-multinational-companies-on-development>.

Shah, Anup. Corporations. 2 October 2010. 27 February 2011 <http://www.globalissues.org/issue/50/corporations>.

Solutions to Corporation Corruption

Bair, Linda. American Symbols of Freedom. 2011.
Dreamstime. Accessed 27 Feb. 2011.
<http://www.dreamstime.com/american-symbols-
of-freedom-image36488>

Almost every occurrence of corruption in corporations is directly related to poor government.  If the government controls the economy then it will eventually lead to a dictatorship which means even more corruption.  According to the Novartis Foundation many people in the government misuse their power because it is impossible for the everyday person to enter into the decision making process or even get a glimpse of what is happening under the table (par 2).  Because of this it is nearly impossible to hold anybody accountable for the decision that was made if it was an unethical decision.  One way to help make the government better and lessen corruption is for the government to keep its hands out of business affairs and let private enterprise and the free market run its course instead of barging in and forcing or bribing big corporations to do unethical things that benefit the government.  The Novartis Foundation also says that if private resources are clearly distinguished from public resources then that would prevent corporations from unethically using public resources for their own private advantage (par 3).  Also corporations need to stop controlling the media and the information that the average person hears on the news.  There needs to be more of a free press and the news needs to talk about both sides of a story and all of the opinions that people have about it so the average person can actually know what is going on and make an educated decision about what to do.  This would prevent the average person from blindly being misled by the government to believe false things which would encourage everyday people to do things that only benefit the government and not the individual or private enterprise.  According to Anup Shah stricter laws against corruption and stricter enforcement of those laws would encourage big corporations eliminate corruption (par 5).  In the end it will be impossible to eliminate corruption completely but if all of these things that I listed above are carried out strong enough and correctly then it will eliminate almost all of the corruption that goes on in big corporations and in the government.  Ending corruption would promote a better, fairer world focused on doing the right things instead of the most profitable things. 

Works Cited

Bair, Linda. American Symbols of Freedom. 2011. Dreamstime. Accessed 27 Feb. 2011. <http://www.dreamstime.com/american-symbols-of-freedom-image36488>

Novartis Foundation . Multinational Corporations, Governance Deficits, and Corruption . 3 December 2010. 24 February 2011 <http://www.gdrc.org/u-gov/doc-business_gg.html>.

Shah, Anup. Corruption. 7 November 2010. 24 February 2011 <http://www.globalissues.org/article/590/corruption>.

Corporations’ Impact on the Environment

Many corporations have been criticized for damaging the environment.  Recently many corporations have been encouraged to preserve the environment and be more responsible and accountable.  However, corporations are only responsible for their shareholders.  The government is directly responsible for issues involving their citizens and their environment.  Corporations and their shareholders are mainly concerned about profit.  That profit motive can have a devastating effect on the environment.  Many of the world’s largest and wealthiest corporations are in the oil and car manufacturing fields.  Their financial wealth allows them to support certain political policies that are advantageous to them and not to everyday people.  Generally corporations push the government to reduce environmental regulations and when there are environmental regulations corporations stop at nothing to find ways around them.    Most corporations are unwilling to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, noise pollution, and production of toxic wastes.  If corporations are unhappy with the environmental restrictions in the U.S. most of them will reallocate to third world countries with less stringent environmental laws.  Many corporations work under the laws of several different countries which makes legal restrictions very difficult.  Corporations are not harming the environment intentionally.  Greed and laziness are their motives and they will do anything for profit.  For corporations the destruction of the environment is an indirect and unwanted effect due to their greed and laziness.  The thing is many corporations think that their greed and laziness outweigh the damaging effects that it has on the environment because they are making so much money.  Many corporations have poured millions of dollars into promoting themselves as being environmentally friendly but these are often just an attempt to better their public relations.  However, some corporations are starting to realize their damaging effects on the environment and moral obligation to save it all from becoming a wasteland.   

Works Cited

Ahmed, Shaik. Air-Pollution Systems. 2009. Accessed 27 Feb. 2011. < http://irfangreenworld.blogspot.com/>

Kraft, Michael E. Business and Environmental Policy. 2011. 27 February 2011 <http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11180>.

Shah, Anup. Corporations and the Environment. 25 May 2002. 27 February 2011 <http://www.globalissues.org/article/55/corporations-and-the-environment>.