Course Syllabus

FCS 522

International Aspects of the Fashion Industry

The course will address issues facing fashion-related businesses in global markets. You will learn about the ethical, economic, political, socio-cultural and professional aspects of working in a globally connected industry. Emphasis is on awareness of major international design and production centers, business strategy development, cross-cultural consumer decision making and the impact of the industry practices on families around the world.

Course Competencies and Objectives

The overall goals of the TEX program are to develop the following competencies:

• Conceptual Competence: Understanding the theoretical foundations of the profession.
• Technical Competence: Ability to perform skills required by the profession.
• Integrative Competence: Ability to meld theory and skills in the practice setting.
• Career Marketability: Becoming marketable as a result of acquired education and training.

This course will focus on meeting learning objectives in several competency areas:

Conceptual Competence

• Recognize, define, and apply concepts related to the structure and interactions within the textile complex.

• Explain the importance of the softgoods industry to the American and global economy.

Technical Competence

• Locate resources and interpret and evaluate current information.

· Use electronic communications and other technology to facilitate communication and work.

· Retrieve information from government and nongovernmental organizations.

· Assess the environmental impact of the production, distribution, and consumption of apparel and textiles.

· Use authoritative sources of data to source materials for production and investigate trends in the softgoods industry.

· Locate resources and interpret and evaluate current information.

Integrative Competence

· Contrast and appreciate the positions of different interest groups (e.g., industry, labor, retailers, consumers, policy makers) with respect to patterns of production, employment, consumption, and natural resource use.

· Analyze key issues in global textile/apparel trade using trade theories.

· Evaluate the impact of global textile and apparel corporations on employment trends, wages levels, unionization, national income distribution in countries around the world.

· Assess the impact of national policies on: global business, on national economies, and on individual companies.

· Evaluate aspects of global diversity and how it relates to the developing competitive global economy.

· Evaluate the impact of global textile/apparel activities on family well-being.

· Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of increased trade activities.

Career Marketability

· Communicate effectively and professionally orally, in writing, and on the Internet

These activities will help you to meet the learning objectives and develop competence.

• Critical analysis and discussion of reading material.
• Students will be responsible for critical analysis of assigned reading material. Assessment of student learning will take place through instructor evaluation of in-class discussions, and essay tests.
• Each student will be assigned responsibility for presenting the basic information for one of the chapters in the text. An outline of presentation requirements will be provided.
• Research and analysis
• Undergraduate and graduate students will extensively research a developing country. Each student will prepare a written report and oral presentation on various aspects of the country and its textile/apparel industry activities. The paper will use one of the theoretical frameworks presented in the textbook to assess the potential competitiveness of the apparel or textile sector in that country. The impact of the textile/apparel industry on family well being in the country will be assessed.
• Graduate students will extend the country research to include research questions and proposal for a research project. Undergraduate students may choose this option for extra credit.
• Writing.
• Undergraduate and graduate students will select a current topic of interest in the textile and apparel industry. Each student will prepare a position paper on the topic, including a historical review and current state of the issue. Examples of topics include the effect of NAFTA on U.S. apparel manufacturing, fair trade policies and sweatshops, EU policies and textile/apparel trade, and apparel job losses in the U.S.
• Exams
• There will be a mid-term and a final exam. These exams will primarily consist of essay and short answer questions.