Thomas Friedman discusses outsourcing in his 2004 article “30 Little Turtles.” The article is short and to the point yet gives a fairly convincing argument for the outsourcing of work to other countries. Friedman uses language and personal stories effectively, pathos being his rhetorical appeal. As successful as his use of pathos is, the article would perhaps benefit from the use of added factual information.
Friedman (2008) sets a positive tone with his language choices; for example, when he writes about “these incredibly enthusiastic young Indians preparing for their call center jobs” (p. 176). This promotes the reader to feel that maybe outsourcing is a good thing seeing as these people are so eager. Friedman uses other words like “pride”, “liberated”, “happy”, “self-confidence, dignity and optimism” to reinstate these feelings of sympathy in the reader (p. 176-177).
Friedman shares several stories of individuals who have been strongly affected by their jobs gained through outsourcing. He introduces these individuals by name and writes a quote from each of them that captures the feelings of hope and positivity that these jobs have provided. The personal glimpses into the lives of these young Indians help to convey Friedman’s purpose. A couple of paragraphs later Friedman discloses a conversation he had with several young Palestinians. These men have no jobs and are in agreement that they are “suicide bombers in waiting” (p. 177). Their lack of hope is frightening and such a stark contrast to the optimism of the Indians.
While Friedman makes a good case for outsourcing of work to less fortunate countries, he does not support his own claim that outsourcing will make “a safer world for our own 20-year-olds” (p. 177). To justify this claim he requires strong statistical information that indicates a correlation between lack of jobs and terrorism affecting American youths. There is no example of this in his otherwise convincing article.
What kind of negative impacts affect the countries that outsource work to developing countries?
Friedman, T. (2008). 30 Little Turtles. In Ackley, K., Blank, G., & Hume, S. (Eds).
Friedman, T. (2008). 30 Little Turtles. In Ackley, K., Blank, G., & Hume, S. (Eds).
Perspectives on contemporary issues. (pp. 176-177). Toronto: Nelson.
Hi Susannah,
ReplyDeleteVery fine analysis of Friedman's article. Thank you for examining the essay's strengths and flaws. Does giving a person a job in a call centre prevent them from becoming a terrorist? It sounds like something George Bush might have said. Ha, ha!
Thank you for all the careful documentation and Works Cited entry at the end.