Synthesis Assignment Commodification

Nurul Afiqah Binte Rashid

A0160361R
Commodification can bring about positive and negative effects. On the
positive note, Bhasin (2016) believes that commodification is beneficial as
it puts value to services or goods that is owned or to be sold for a profit
(para 3). However, the articles from Forbes and The Week UK, shows
otherwise as commodification has brought upon the negative effects, such
as treating humans, like babies and women, as part of commodities in
slavery, which brings more harm than good.

The Week UK (2015) reports that babies are kidnapped from their families
and sold online up to the price of ten thousand pounds (para 1, 2).
Commodity has put a value to babies and children, where these young
individuals might end up working as beggars for criminal gangs, reported
by BBC Martin Patience. (para 4) (The Week UK, 2015). This act of human-
trafficking is immoral and cruel as the children will probably be abused
when working under these gangs. Moreover, The Week UK (2015) reported
that the children and babies were also harmed during the process of
human-trafficking as stated by Patience, They had been drugged to keep
them quiet and then stuffed inside nylon bags, where one died from
suffocation. (para 6) and CNN also claimed that many of them (children)
were ill and severely malnourished) (para 8). This is one of the negative
effects of commodity, together with its impacts.

Another negative effect of commodity is that it increases the activity of

global human trafficking to be the second largest and fastest organised
crime in the world (para 3) (Forbes, 2013). In addition, commodity has
provided revenues of up to $32 billion a year from this act. According to
Forbes (2013), sexual slavery by rescuing victims of trafficking and
sexual exploitation (para 8), which can be inferred that some of these
women are treated as slaves and are sexually harassed because of this
act. This act is not ethical and inhumane as these women are falling as
victim and being taken advantage of slavery and sexual harassment.

All in all, commodification is harmful. It should be controlled well in terms

of what should and should not be commodified. It should also be
considered over the possible consequences, especially in the ethical
aspect.

Word count: 372 words

Bibliography

Babies for sale: children openly sold online in China. (2015). The Week UK.
Retrieved 31 January 2017, from http://www.theweek.co.uk/62890/babies-
for-sale-children-openly-sold-online-in-china

Bhasin, H. (2016). What is Commodification - Its advantages and

disadvantages. Marketing91.com. Retrieved 31 January 2017, from
http://www.marketing91.com/commodification-advantages-and-
disadvantages/
Forbes. (2013). Forbes.com. Retrieved 31 January 2017, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/skollworldforum/2013/11/15/how-to-end-
modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking/#5b81e646d593