Year 8 Humanities students become ethical consumers

Year 8 Hums students have been learning what it means to be an ethical consumer.

Here they share some of their insights:

“As consumers, we purchase products, and in Humanities we have learnt that what we buy does affect people: positively and negatively. We need to be aware of the world around us and be sure that we are only making a positive impact on people, and it is hard. If we abide with companies that support and create products that have been made by people who enjoy their jobs, like the FairTrade©movement and RSPO, we can create a good world, and this may come with the sacrifice of your favourite products and higher prices, but money is worth less than the happiness of the world.”

ANGELO

“When I thought of the word ‘slavery,’ I thought of America in the 1800’s, but after this Hums unit I’ve gained a lot more knowledge and now the word could mean so many more things. Like ‘Nestle` chocolate on the Ivory Coast’ or ‘Nike sweat shops in Thailand and Bangladesh’, so many huge brands still using forced child labour and providing horrible pay to all employees. Due to this unit and topic my vocabulary and knowledge in general have expanded which means I can educate, and still be taught, about so many things about these fascinating but horrible world problems.”

RILEY C

“In this unit I have learnt a whole range of things about being ethical and lots about modern slavery. It’s a worldwide issue that many people are unaware of. Everyone should know how to help and be a good human. As a consumer it is important to think ethically, although many people are unaware of the little secrets behind many big brands. As consumers we need to be aware of how the products we buy are manufactured or made.”

SOFIA

“We can buy products that use fair trade and could stop making those young, innocent children work to death, for us. I have learnt that not all things are as good as they seem and behind lots of brands, is sometimes a bitter truth. At home we can minimise food wastage and buy less clothing that will last longer. At school we can learn about the cruel, inhumane ways companies produce their products, so we want to make a change. This topic has opened my eyes to the real world and makes me disgusted and disappointed in our society. Many people don’t even know the truth so they don’t know to change, but I think that if every one of us makes a small change in our daily lives, we can stop innocent people being lied to and working in poor conditions their whole life. Together we can make a change.”

TANEISHA

“If you’ve ever eaten a Mars bar or worn a pair of GAP jeans, someone across the world has most likely made these through forced labour (Top 28 Companies That Use Child Labour Still! https://content.wisestep.com/companies-use-child-labor/  N.D.). Almost three quarters (71%) of these slaves are women or girls. 1 in 4 of them is a young child. These people can face violence and threats, be forced into inescapable debts, or have their passports taken away and are threatened with deportation. Many fall into the trap because they are trying to escape poverty, improve their lives and support their families. (What Is Modern Slavery? https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/ N.D.).”

ISABELLE