Sociology 3945: Worksheet--"Is Wal-Mart Good for America?"

1. How did Wal-Mart move from being a company that emphasized "Made in America" in their advertising, at least, to being the American company that buys the most product overseas?

2. Why did Wal-Mart end up with so many of its suppliers in China?

3. What give Wal-Mart such great power over its suppliers, and how does it use that power?

4. What effect has the Wal-Martization of the economy had on American consumers?

5. What effect has Wal-Martization had on American workers?

Sociology 3945: Groups--"Is Wal-Mart Good for America?

1. Duke University professor Gary Gereffi says: "China is the largest exporter to the U.S. economy in virtually all consumer goods categories. Wal-Mart is the leading retailer in the U.S. economy in virtually all consumer goods category. Wal-Mart and China are a joint venture." What are the effects on each country of this mutual interdependence? In particular, is Wal-Mart Good for America? What difference does it make that Wal-Mart is headquartered in the United States? More generally, do large corporations like Wal-Mart have loyalties to the country where they are headquartered? (If you don't get past this first series of questions, that is okay.)

2. Wal-Mart can be viewed as an incredible success story for the private enterprise system. But its success is also the product of government action? How has government contributed to the success of Wal-Mart?

3. Wal-Mart has 4300 outlets in nine countries, currently employing more than 1.3 million people. None of those stores are unionized, and the battle between unions and Wal-Mart may well be decisive to the long-range future of the union movement. What are the advantages Wal-Mart has in that battle? What do you think unions would have to do to be successful at Wal-Mart?

3.