Final answer:
A sweatshop is defined as a factory with exploitative and abusive working conditions. These factories may involve child labor, inadequate pay, unsafe working conditions, and are often associated with major brands outsourcing manufacturing. The collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013 brought global attention to the plight of sweatshop workers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term sweatshop best defines a factory with exploitative and abusive working conditions. Sweatshops are associated with factories where poorly paid workers toil in dangerous environments, often with long hours and inadequate safety measures. The term became particularly well-known in the 1990s when images of workers in dire conditions in Central America, India, and Southeast Asia were circulated, highlighting the consequences of outsourcing by major Multinational Corporations (MNCs) such as Nike, Gap, and Walmart.
Historically, such exploitative labor practices have been a source of contention, as sweatshop conditions can include child labor, inadequate pay, and unscrupulous treatment of workers. In 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh brought the issue of sweatshop labor into sharp focus, prompting calls for reform and better labor standards.
The challenges arising from sweatshops are not limited to physical conditions but also include moral considerations about the types of labor that societies are willing to accept or reject. Economists and human rights advocates alike often support efforts to eliminate abusive labor practices, such as those found in sweatshops, especially when involving child labor and slave labor.