Anthropologist to expose beneficial side of Central America child labor issue

By Katherine Farlow 24/10/07

Dr. Thomas Offit, assistant professor of anthropology, will lecture on "Child Labor in Global Perspective: A View from the Streets of Guatemala" at 4 p.m. Thursday in 116 Draper Academic Building.

"From an anthropologist's view, child labor is a very complex topic," Offit said.

He said his focus is on urban child labor, specifically child street labor, and how our lives and theirs are closely related.

As a cultural anthropologist, Offit has worked with child street labor, including in Guatemala City working with Mayan Indians in the textile trade.

"I wanted to study their lives as an anthropologist does, living with them, and figure out life from their perspective," he said.

Given the structural reality in Guatemala, in many cases child labor is a positive to other situations.

Many children are victims of child labor. These children are also active agents in making their own and family's lives better by working, he said. Guatemala doesn't have a social welfare system and the economic opportunity is limited, Offit said.

"Kids take to the streets to make better lives for them and families," he said.

The majority of the kids are hardworking and trying to advance economically.

Offit said the notion of childhood is that children are dependent and this affects the view of children in other countries.

"When we in the West view child labor, we view them as victims of exploitation instead of having some control over their lives," Offit said.

Offit said he wants students to get a greater appreciation of child labor and the "greater economic forces that bring children to work on the streets in the first place."

He said he wants to give students a global perspective and show how it affects a country that's our neighbor. He also wants to show the relationship between our community and kids working on the streets in Guatemala.

Offit has done research on child labor and continues to do so. Child street labor is also the basis for his new book coming out within the year.

Offit's lecture is a part of the Global Issues Lecture Series, hosted by the Center for International Education.

Dr. Garrett Cook, professor of anthropology, said Offit presents a different perspective. He's not repeating what people may have heard about child labor.

"What's interesting about his talk is he actually sees some positive impact of child labor for young people in Guatemala," Cook said.

Offit views child labor as a chance for children to improve and take control of their lives.

"These are perspectives you don't see in Third World countries," Cook said.

Social work graduate student Meredith Casares said she doesn't agree with child labor, but understands how child labor makes sense if a country has economic problems.

"I think it's good to look at the country and why the choice for child labor is present," Casares said.

It could be a positive thing if employers provided physical needs for children, such as food and a place to stay, Casares said.

She said anything helping others become more knowledgeable about child issues is beneficial.

Since international adoptions are closed for Guatemala, and more children stay in orphanages or on the streets, Casares said she is interested to hear how child labor affects orphans.

http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=47688