The emergence of global assembly plants is closely linked to the creation of a global female industrial labor force. Women and Work in Mexico's Maquiladoras examines this larger process in Mexico, where--despite a century of industrialization and a tradition of well-paid, highly organized, male workers--the maquiladora factories have turned to predominantly female labor. Exploring this dramatic shift, this book convincingly demonstrates how gender restructuring in workplaces and households has become a crucial element in the reorientation of Mexican development. The author compares Mexico's new industrial system with its historical antecedent and documents federal policy changes that have resulted in distinct patterns of gender, unionization, household form, and social welfare. Rich in ethnographic detail, the book uses the voices of workers themselves to provide an intimate look at how daily lives have been transformed--in ways that could not have been foreseen--by the national and international processes shaping the country's industrial transition.

Inhaltsangabe: Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents: List of Figures and Tables Abbreviations 1.Introduction 1.1Delineation of the Problem 1.2Methodology 2.Definition 2.1Definition of Maquiladora Industry 2.2Definition of NAFTA 3.The Mexican Maquiladora Industry 3.1Historical Background 3.2Legal Framework 3.2.1General Legal Foundation 3.2.2Specific Import Regulations 3.2.3Specific Export Regulations 3.3Forms of Involvement 3.3.1Wholly Owned Subsidiary 3.3.2Shelter Operation 3.3.3Subcontract Operation 3.4Opening of a Maquiladora Facility 3.5Overview: Numerical Data 4.Business Related Opportunities and Problems 4.1Opportunities of Operating Maquiladoras 4.1.1Maquiladora Industry: An Export Processing Zone 4.1.2Low Mexican Labor Costs 4.1.3Sales Potential 4.1.3.1Proximity and Access to the U.S. Market 4.1.3.2The Mexican Domestic Market 4.1.3.3Maquiladora Industry: The Bridge Between North and Latin America? 4.2Problems of Operating Maquiladoras 4.2.1Available Workforce 4.2.2Inadequate Infrastructure 4.2.3Increased Logistics Costs 4.3Location Decision: Border Area Versus Inland 5.Economic Related Benefits and Detriments 5.1Benefits for the Mexican Economy 5.1.1Employment Effects 5.1.2Monetary Effects 5.1.3Technological Effects 5.2Detriments to the Mexican Economy 5.2.1Economic Disintegration 5.2.2Cultural Disintegration 5.2.3Urbanization 5.2.4Environmental Effects 5.2.4.1Air, Water, and Soil Pollution 5.2.4.2Environmental Regulations 6.Changes due to the Enactment of NAFTA 6.1The North American Free Trade Agreement 6.1.1Summary on NAFTA 6.1.2NAFTA: The End of the Maquiladora Program? 6.2NAFTA and Rules of Origin 6.2.1General Purpose of Rules of Origin 6.2.2Determination of Originating Goods 6.2.3Effects on the Maquiladora Industry 6.2.3.1The Asian Investment Boom 6.2.3.2Move Towards Mexico's Interior 6.2.3.3Further Mexican Integration Agreements 6.3Environmental Dumping or Protection? 7.Critical Review and Future Prospects Appendix Bibliography

This study looks at union responses to the changes in the Latin American automobile industry over the past 15 years. Chapters focus on Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Venezuela, while considering the impact of the shift toward export production and regional integration. In addition, contributing authors discuss the degree to which political changes (the breakdown and perpetuation of authoritarian rule and state-corporatism) have influenced unions' responses to reorganization.

This volume provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic, social, cultural and political dimensions of the evolving trilateral relationship among the three countries of North America. Contributors address such topics as energy, the environment, trade, labour, the maquiladora industrial sector of Mexico, the Mexican auto industry, and Canada - U.S. cultural relations.While other publications have focused on U.S. issues, this one emphasizes Canada and Mexico, yet adds significantly to our understanding of the place of the United States in this evolving trilateral relationship.