Gendered Exploitation under Contemporary Capitalism

Abstract

Abstract With globalization as a catalyst, hegemonic powers dependent upon neoliberal capitalism continue to exploit resources, locations, and humans for economic benefit. This research explores how states and corporations strategically force already vulnerable populations into further lives of precarity, all to extract surplus value to feed the capitalist machine. Employing World Systems and Decolonial Theory we seek to uncover the paths that corporations take to cut corners, exploit labor, and avoid regulations. Specifically, we will be comparing the evolution of the semiconductor industry in Southeast Asia with the maquiladoras in Mexico to illuminate the methodical exploitation of labor and the earth in the name of economic gain.