It’s been more than a decade since Kathie Lee Gifford broke down in tears on her morning television show in response to accusations that the line of clothing carrying her name was manufactured in Honduran sweatshops, often using child labor.

The scandal and its aftermath, including Gifford’s advocacy for international watchdog legislation, thrust the issue of fair labor practices into the spotlight, and more recent controversies involving other U.S. clothing manufacturers would seem to have kept it there.

Still, progress is slow, according to a UD professor who studies corporate responsibility in apparel production.

“Consumers may feel that because the issue has lost public attention and because some surface improvements have been made, the problem has been fixed,” says Marsha Dickson, professor and chairperson of the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies. “But, it hasn’t gone away. Some companies recognize the importance of the issue and are working to address it, but others would rather bury their heads and pretend the problem doesn’t exist.”

Fair labor is a complex problem, she acknowledges, particularly because virtually all apparel is produced outside the United States. American manufacturers usually contract with the overseas factories that make the clothing rather than owning the facilities themselves, resulting in limits on their control and accountability.

“It’s difficult,” Dickson says. “Even for companies that want to address the problem, the question becomes: How do you do that in a factory you don’t own, in a country—like China, for example—where the government controls the labor unions?”

Last year, the United States imported apparel and textiles from 156 different countries, mostly in Asia and Latin America. Manufacturers can implement fair-labor policies in the overseas factories, educate the managers there and conduct surprise inspections, but sweatshop conditions don’t necessarily disappear, Dickson says.

“Managers might ignore the policies, and workers can be coached to say the right things to inspectors,” she says. “Companies really have to try innovative solutions, and they have to stay aware of, and on top of, the issue.”

That’s what Dickson and colleagues around the country are hoping to accomplish with a new program they are developing. Supported by a Higher Education Challenge Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the faculty members are creating a curriculum to teach both full-time students and working professionals about corporate social responsibility in apparel production.

Dickson is working with colleagues at Colorado State and Cornell universities to develop the graduate-level group of core courses. The goal is a series of 10, one-credit, five-week courses that will be offered at the three universities and, via the Internet, worldwide. The professors have conducted field research by visiting factories in a variety of countries and meeting with manufacturers. They call it an emerging field of study.

“I think we’re ahead of the curve with these courses,” Dickson says. “Some business schools offer classes that deal with social responsibility, but this curriculum that we’re creating will be the first set of courses specifically focused on apparel production.”

At Liz Claiborne, the company’s vice president of global business ethics and compliance praises educational programs that delve into issues of social responsibility.

“I’m seeing more forward-thinking schools including courses on this topic,” Daryl Brown says. “By creating an awareness of factory working conditions and related issues, these universities are preparing their students well for jobs in design, manufacturing and sourcing.”

The academic program now being developed will encompass such areas of corporate responsibility as human rights, environmental and labor issues. Although a set of courses dedicated to the subject may be a new approach, tackling the social-responsibility aspects of global apparel production is nothing new
for Dickson.

Her research has long focused on labor issues. She teaches courses on the subject and worked with other faculty members in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies to create a visiting lecture series called “Fashioning Social Responsibility,” which brings experts on the subject to campus. She also serves on the board of directors of the Fair Labor Association, where she says she strives to represent the interests of educators across the United States and worldwide who are preparing students for industry positions.

At UD, the fashion and apparel department has incorporated social responsibility into its educational mission. In fact, Dickson notes, “Strong faculty interest in a range of topics of social responsibility is one reason I joined UD.”

With the new series of courses now being developed, “We think we can change the industry from the inside out” by educating current and future professionals, Dickson says. “It’s true that there are a lot of laggers in the industry, but there also are a lot of companies doing innovative things to address the problem. We want to use the courses to highlight best practices.” She currently is developing case studies that students can use to see what has worked and what has not.
Dickson predicts that even companies that are paying little attention to issues of social responsibility will see that addressing labor and environmental problems is in their own best interest.

“After all, a brand has everything to lose from bad publicity,” she says. “You don’t want to see your company on 60 Minutes some night.”

Increasingly, too, students are becoming aware of social responsibility and take a company’s commitment into consideration when deciding where they want to work, Dickson says.

“Students want to work for a company that’s aware of the problems and that will give them an opportunity to contribute and help make things better,” she says.

Ann Manser, AS ’73