CONCEPCION, Dale Ernest S. GESTSOC – Y35
Module #7-3: Research and identify a social problem. Argue why this is a social problem. Explain
adequately whether your social problem is the actual problem instead of just a symptom of a deeper
problem. Then, try to explain it using your perspective of choice. Why is this the perspective that
makes the most sense to you? (200 points).
Environmental degradation and pollution is a social problem that is prevalent not only in the
Philippines but over the entire world. Continuous destruction of nature is occurring due to over-extraction
of resources. Human activities largely contribute to the depletion of the natural ecosystem of the world.
Environmental degradation refers to the process by which the environment is compromised in some way
and although it is naturally-occurring at times, it can also be accelerated or caused by human activities
(GEMET, n.d.). On the other hand, pollution is the natural or artificial introduction of a substance or
material that leads to a negative change in the environment, specifically in the air, water, soil, light, or noise
(Kamprad, n.d.). From these two definitions given, something that is common is human activity. It is
humans that contribute largely to the destruction of nature, especially the multinational and capitalist
companies that exists in various industries today. They cause huge impacts to nature because of their
business and operational practices. What they do also impacts the quality of life of many people across the
world which is why it can be considered as a social problem. One notable industry that contributes to this
issue is the fast fashion industry. In this paper, the business practices of this industry and its respective
influence in aggravating the stated social issue shall be analysed using the conflict perspective of Karl Marx.
My eyes were opened on the detrimental environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry after
watching Andrew Morgan’s 2015 documentary “The True Cost”. It is disclosed in the documentary that
textile wastes pile up over dump sites and they are found to decompose longer than plastics. Kamprad (n.d.)
supports this statement as he reported that enthusiasts of fast-fashion sends 85% of textiles to dump sites
annually because they always want to keep up with the latest trends in terms of style. Companies in this
industry cause consumers to think that the current clothes they have are not “in the trend” anymore, and
thus, people feel the need to purchase a new pair of jeans, shirt, or shorts. Right now, how many pairs of
jeans do you have in your closet? How often do use them? This were questions that I tried to reflect about
after watching the documentary. Ozdamar-Ertekin (2017) states that the ferment industry is the second most
polluting industry in the world.
The ending waste products is not the only one that is problematic, also the process in which these
clothes are created. Cotton represents approximately half of the total raw materials used in the production
of clothes. He also states that multinational clothing companies force cotton farmers to deviate from their
traditional farming practices to keep up with the demand of cotton. Cotton plants are reengineered and
genetically modified so that they could grow faster and produce better quality of cotton. In the documentary,
a cotton farmer interviewee by the name of Larhea Pepper disclosed that over the past decade, more than
80% of cotton produced has become genetically modified. The chemicals, insecticides, and pesticides used
impacts the health of the soil wherein these cotton are planted. These technologies contaminate the soil.
Another raw material that is increasingly gaining demand in the fashion industry is leather. In the production
of this material, harmful chemicals are used to treat the leather and the resulting wastes are dumped into
bodies of water causing water pollution. Kamprad (n.d.) adds that 10% of carbon emissions in the whole
world is attributable to the production of clothes. The fast fashion industry contributes to environmental
degradation because its practices compromises the environment and it also causes pollution in air, water,
and soil.
Marx’s conflict perspective is characterized by the different access to technology and how these
technologies are only created to cater to the interests of a certain group of people. Furthermore, this theory
also states that the control of the technology helps capitalists promote their own interests without
considering the welfare of other stakeholders such as the environment and the working class. In the case of
the fast fashion industry, the capitalist owners of these companies are only concerned about making profit.
They want to procure the cheapest raw materials possible that adheres to the “quality standards” that they
Module #7-3: Research and identify a social problem. Argue why this is a social problem. Explain
adequately whether your social problem is the actual problem instead of just a symptom of a deeper
problem. Then, try to explain it using your perspective of choice. Why is this the perspective that
makes the most sense to you? (200 points).
Environmental degradation and pollution is a social problem that is prevalent not only in the
Philippines but over the entire world. Continuous destruction of nature is occurring due to over-extraction
of resources. Human activities largely contribute to the depletion of the natural ecosystem of the world.
Environmental degradation refers to the process by which the environment is compromised in some way
and although it is naturally-occurring at times, it can also be accelerated or caused by human activities
(GEMET, n.d.). On the other hand, pollution is the natural or artificial introduction of a substance or
material that leads to a negative change in the environment, specifically in the air, water, soil, light, or noise
(Kamprad, n.d.). From these two definitions given, something that is common is human activity. It is
humans that contribute largely to the destruction of nature, especially the multinational and capitalist
companies that exists in various industries today. They cause huge impacts to nature because of their
business and operational practices. What they do also impacts the quality of life of many people across the
world which is why it can be considered as a social problem. One notable industry that contributes to this
issue is the fast fashion industry. In this paper, the business practices of this industry and its respective
influence in aggravating the stated social issue shall be analysed using the conflict perspective of Karl Marx.
My eyes were opened on the detrimental environmental impacts of the fast fashion industry after
watching Andrew Morgan’s 2015 documentary “The True Cost”. It is disclosed in the documentary that
textile wastes pile up over dump sites and they are found to decompose longer than plastics. Kamprad (n.d.)
supports this statement as he reported that enthusiasts of fast-fashion sends 85% of textiles to dump sites
annually because they always want to keep up with the latest trends in terms of style. Companies in this
industry cause consumers to think that the current clothes they have are not “in the trend” anymore, and
thus, people feel the need to purchase a new pair of jeans, shirt, or shorts. Right now, how many pairs of
jeans do you have in your closet? How often do use them? This were questions that I tried to reflect about
after watching the documentary. Ozdamar-Ertekin (2017) states that the ferment industry is the second most
polluting industry in the world.
The ending waste products is not the only one that is problematic, also the process in which these
clothes are created. Cotton represents approximately half of the total raw materials used in the production
of clothes. He also states that multinational clothing companies force cotton farmers to deviate from their
traditional farming practices to keep up with the demand of cotton. Cotton plants are reengineered and
genetically modified so that they could grow faster and produce better quality of cotton. In the documentary,
a cotton farmer interviewee by the name of Larhea Pepper disclosed that over the past decade, more than
80% of cotton produced has become genetically modified. The chemicals, insecticides, and pesticides used
impacts the health of the soil wherein these cotton are planted. These technologies contaminate the soil.
Another raw material that is increasingly gaining demand in the fashion industry is leather. In the production
of this material, harmful chemicals are used to treat the leather and the resulting wastes are dumped into
bodies of water causing water pollution. Kamprad (n.d.) adds that 10% of carbon emissions in the whole
world is attributable to the production of clothes. The fast fashion industry contributes to environmental
degradation because its practices compromises the environment and it also causes pollution in air, water,
and soil.
Marx’s conflict perspective is characterized by the different access to technology and how these
technologies are only created to cater to the interests of a certain group of people. Furthermore, this theory
also states that the control of the technology helps capitalists promote their own interests without
considering the welfare of other stakeholders such as the environment and the working class. In the case of
the fast fashion industry, the capitalist owners of these companies are only concerned about making profit.
They want to procure the cheapest raw materials possible that adheres to the “quality standards” that they
