A STUDY GUIDE by sAlly cAmpbell www.metromagazine.com.au www.theeducationshop.com.au
OUTSOURCED! explores the experiences of young people working in call centres in India and Australia. Never before have national borders been so porous. Technological advances mean a call-centre operator in India can now answer calls from consumers in the United States, Europe and Australia, as well as other developed countries.
Synopsis >
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o many observers, outsourcing represents a new frontier of globalization, pitting workers around the world against each other in the battle for jobs and the pursuit of lower operating costs and higher profits for business. Over the past five years, India has emerged as the leader in this new global market that threatens white-collar office jobs in developed countries. OUTSOURCED! portrays a defining moment for both India and Australia, where there are new career opportunities for Indian workers and uncertain futures for their Australian counterparts.
The film profiles the lives of four young Indian women who work in outsourcing jobs at a company called Genpact.1 They see their work as an exciting opportunity and an important source of income for their families. They take their jobs seriously and believe their roles are an important step towards financial security and professional advancement. By way of contrast, the film also canvasses the experiences of four Australian call-centre workers who do not consider their jobs as careers. They are young, itinerant workers who, despite earning up to five times the wage of their Indian counterparts, do not regard their jobs as being long-
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term prospects. Through the eyes of the Indian women, the documentary explores how the outsourcing industry is dramatically changing Indian culture, turning cities like Gurgaon, located on the outskirts of New Delhi, into technological boomtowns. However, in the sweeping global trend to outsource white-collar work, even India is not safe. Already it is vying with other developing countries, illustrating that in this new era of globalization, no country has an iron grip over job security.
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ABOVE: ONE OF GENPACT’S CALL CENTRES
study guide are: globalization, economics, business, gender, trade, society and culture. The study guide includes questions and activities to be explored before and after watching the film.
About this study guide > Key themes discussed in this
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he questions can be incorporated into classroom discussion or students can provide individual written responses. The activities in the study guide include a mixture of individual investigation, class discussion, and small group work. Specific questions and activities for students of media studies are included under a separate heading.
About the Filmmakers
In OUTSOURCED!, filmmakers Safina Uberoi and Anna Cater examine Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), focusing on an Indian company that wins contracts to take over many ‘back office’ functions of companies located in developed countries. With many Western white-collar jobs being lost to the BPO industry, the subject is a controversial topic in the world’s economies. Choosing to shoot the majority of the documentary in India, they concentrated particularly on the perspective of women because it is female employment in the Indian BPO industry that is creating tremendous social change for its participants. Both Uberoi and Cater have prior
Curriculum Links
This film will be of interest to students from middle to senior secondary school in the following subject areas: Social and Cultural Studies, Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE/ HSIE), Media Studies, Economics, Business Studies, and Geography.
The Essay on Is India Still Developing Country
Even after 66 years of independence, India is still labeled as a developing country. I think as a nation, we have miles to go. The question of whether or not India is a developed or developing country is not so simple. To understand the real India, we need to look at many other indicators, such as health and education too. I think the level of development in a country is directly proportionate to ...
experience making documentaries on social topics of global interest. Uberoi is best known for her documentary My Mother India about her Australian mother’s love affair with India. The film won eleven major international awards. Likewise, Cater recently produced the highly successful ABC/BBC documentary Frank Hurley – the Man Who Made History, and was associate producer of the award-winning Primal Instinct series on the science of human emotions. She has worked for ABC TV’s Four Corners program as well as with social justice organizations such as Oxfam UK, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad and the Australian Council of Social Services.
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ABOVE: AUSTRALIAN UNIONIST CATH NOYE
Before viewing OUTSOURCED! teachers may want to prepare students by considering the following key themes and issues. The suggested activities and questions related to these topics aim to enhance students’ understanding of the film by introducing its central themes.
1. India
Before Watching the Film >
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ndia is the world’s largest democratic nation, the seventh largest country in terms of land mass, and, behind China, the second most populous country. With a total population of 1.1 billion people, its citizens represent enormous potential on the global stage as both suppliers of human labour and consumers
of goods. It is known as a land of extremes, a place of some of the world’s most profound poverty but also an emerging economy on the global stage. By 2050, it is believed that India could be the world’s largest economic power. • Use an atlas or the Internet to locate India and the town of Gurgaon, outside New Delhi.
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Trace a copy of the map and mark Gurgaon on it. What do you know about India and its people? Start a list with your classmates and compare this list to what you have found out after watching the film. What are the demographic, social and cultural features of India? Why is it such an important player as an emerging economy? Research and
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ABOVE: THE INDIAN BPO HUB OF GURGAON
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discuss. China is mentioned as a possible rival to India in the BPO marketplace. Research geographic, social and economic trends in these two countries. What do they have in common? What makes them different? Find a recent article written about India in a national newspaper, magazine or on the Internet. What are the issues discussed in the article you have chosen? What does this tell you about India and its current developmental status? Some suggested sources include: i. The Australian (http://www. theaustralian.news.com.au) ii. The Sydney Morning Herald (http://www.smh.com.au) iii. The Economist (http://www. economist.com) iv. The New York Times (http:// www.nytimes.com) v. Lonely Planet (http://www. lonelyplanet.com)
The Essay on Roles Of Women Countries World Social
The differences between the Roles of Women in the Developed and the Developing World Women consist of half the worlds population and do two-third of the worlds working hours. However, they can only receive one tenth of money and own one hundred of property (Women 10). In spite of inequality enjoyed by men and women, there are distinct differences between the roles of women in the developed and the ...
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Write an article about India to be read by the Australian public. Use the research you have conducted as the basis for the article. It should highlight key social and economic trends of interest and provide some comparison with Australia. •
2. Globalization
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lobalization is the buzzword of today: it affects not only the economic prospects of every country in the world, but also has far-reaching implications for social and cultural development. As a source of tremendous change, the globalization movement has attracted staunch supporters and equally adamant opponents. The questions and activities listed below are designed to introduce this global phenomenon and some of the debate that surrounds it.
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As a class, define the term ‘globalization’. What does it mean and when did it start? What alternative words are used to describe the process of globalization? Discuss the various terms used and their significance to the debate about globalization. Does the word ‘globalization’ have a positive or negative connotation? What news images and stories do you associate with this word? Discuss what is meant by the terms ‘developed countries’ and ‘developing countries’. Identify examples of each group in an atlas, and discuss the implications of using the other widely used terms ‘First World’ and ‘Third World’. In what ways do you think globalization affects the culture of countries? Is the impact different between developed countries and developing countries?
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CLOCKWISE ABOVE LEFT: EKTA WITH HEADPHONES AND IN HER OFFICE; MINAL AT WORK; RENUKA
The Essay on Role Of Women War Points Australian
April 7 th, 1943 Dear Editor, Well done to your last informative and detailed article about the role of women during the World War 2 period. I am happily writing to you that you had wrote some points in the article that are misleading and should be corrected. I say this because I had just returned from a bloody, terrible and painful war and as I am a woman myself, I feel that I should correct some ...
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Define the terms ‘colonization’ and ‘Westernization’. Do you think they mean the same thing? Is globalization a method of achieving colonization or Westernization? Debate the issue as a class. Many people believe that globalization causes global inequality and increases the gap between those who are rich and those who are not. What are the costs and benefits of free trade? Are industries in developing countries undermining those of developed countries as a result of globalization? What are the labour standards and wage levels, and
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how might they be affected by globalization? What does globalization mean for Australia? What about for India? Read the opinions of some of the world’s most prominent politicians, philosophers, and business leaders on the subject of globalization. Summarize each person’s philosophy and argument. Whose views do you support? What’s your opinion of globalization? As a start, refer to the list of names below and follow the link to a statement they have made about globalization. o Prime Minister John Howard (as at 2006) http://www. pm.gov.au/news/speeches/
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speech1455.html Noam Chomsky http://www. zmag.org/chomskyafter911. com Alan Greenspan http://www. federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/ speeches/2000/20000825.htm Naomi Klein http://www. nologo.org Arundhati Roy http://www. socialistworker.org/20022/423/423_06_Roy.shtml John Ralston Saul http://www. abc.net.au/specials/saul/ fulltext.htm Thomas Friedman http://www. wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/ friedman.html
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ABOVE: SANTOSH NEAR HER HOME IN NEW DELHI
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Clyde Prestowitz http:// globetrotter.berkeley.edu/ people5/Prestowitz/prestowitzcon0.html Australian unions’ joint policy paper . org.au/news/public/files/Offshoring%20-%202006.pdf •
3. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)
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PO is the increasing trend of firms to outsource core business processes to outside vendors. It is used primarily as a cost-saving strategy that involves the offshore outsourcing of tasks such as credit card finance, insurance, banking and accounting. The main contenders for outsourced work include India, China, Russia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Philippines. India has almost half the global market in offshore BPO. It is estimated that the global BPO market will grow to US$17 billion by 2008. • Genpact is one example of a company that specializes in BPO. It operates in India, the United States, Mexico, Hungary, Romania and China. Its eight locations in India employ 14,000 people in towns such as Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore and Kolkata. Find these places in India and mark them on a map. Do these places have anything in common? Is there anything that makes them ideal locations for this type of business? Research other examples of BPO companies. Where are these companies located? What is their annual revenue? Who are their major clients? In June 2006, The Economist wrote: Despite its huge potential market of 1.1 billion people, despite its wealth of Englishspeakers and democratic institutions, despite its vaunted 15-year-old reforms, India has been a daunting place to do business, its entrepreneurs chained down by the world’s most
The Term Paper on Women In Workforce World Globalization Men
Women in the Workforce The integration of the world economy, or economic globalization, has been an operating force for centuries. However, in recent times the effects of this phenomenon have become a major cause for debate. Economic globalization is characterized and supported by free trade, the transcending of ideas and business infrastructures across national boundaries, increased capital ...
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bureaucratic bureaucracy, [and] lousy infrastructure … Do you think India’s business success is likely to grow in importance, or are the factors listed above a signal that India’s economic future is compromised? Write an essay stating and defending your viewpoint. India’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown by 8.1 per cent over the past three years. What is GDP and how is it an indication of economic strength or weakness? Can you detect the relationship between the BPO industry and India’s GDP growth? Research and discuss. What are your personal views on BPO? Do you know anyone who might have been affected by outsourcing? Do you think it is fair for companies to move operations offshore? Research media coverage that outsourcing has received over the past few years. Has it got more or less coverage? Why might this be? Are there business processes and interactions that cannot be outsourced? Identify some and discuss your thinking with the class. Take a class poll to determine who thinks it matters if your telephone call is answered by someone in India or Australia, as long as that person can assist you or answer your query. What are the reasons behind your classmates’ thinking? BPO is made possible by advances in technology, particularly in the areas of telecommunications and the Internet. Identify other industries where technology has had a similar impact. Discuss the impact that BPO has on the following people in Australian society: i. A call centre operator ii. A mid-level manager iii. A company owner iv. A trade union official v. A local politician
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Australia produced the first feature film, one year before America. Today the film has been ravished by the savagery of age. As a flickering and decrepit piece of celluloid rolls in front of our eyes, the significantly diminished footage concerns the story of the Kelly gang. The Kelly Gang was shot in a time of wonder hope and optimism. Through the decay of the aging film, it depicts the final ...
4. Gender and Globalization
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he United Nations Development Program (UNDP) says that ‘sustainable human development is development that not only generates economic growth but distributes its benefits equitably’. Accordingly, it could be said that there can be no sustainable growth on Earth if women, who constitute half the world’s population, are socially, economically, or politically excluded. For a country like India, a more inclusive economy challenges some long-held cultural beliefs about women’s roles in their homes and communities. The growth of BPOs in India is one way that women’s traditional roles are being transformed. • What is the traditional role of women in India? Investigate the importance of gender in Indian culture. Compare the role of women in India with Australian women. How are they similar? What are the key differences? How do you think these roles affect women’s career ambitions in each context? Discuss. To what extent are women’s roles in India influenced by the caste system? Research the current role of the caste system in the social fabric of the nation. Is it a thing of the past? How might globalization challenge these traditional norms? In small groups, brainstorm some of the ways that globalization affects cultural traditions. For each idea your group comes up with, evaluate whether you think it has a positive or negative impact specifically on India’s development. Many Australian women would consider working in a call centre unfulfilling, whereas the Indian women profiled in the film embrace the opportunities that it brings. Discuss this apparent contradiction. Is it possible that Australian women are taking the jobs for granted or are the Indian women prepared to accept more menial positions?
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After Watching the Film
General Questions and Activities
• Write down your thoughts about the film. How did you react to the film? Did you enjoy it? Discuss your views with other members of the class. For call centre workers everywhere, the work is stressful, repetitive and tiring. Every day workers in both India and Australia face racist and abusive phone calls. Write a job advertisement to attract new employees to a BPO company. Outline the skills and characteristics required for their customer service jobs. In groups of two people, re-enact a phone conversation between an Australian client and an employee of an Indian call centre. Use the example of an Australian ringing their credit card company to query the appearance of a A$25 surcharge • on their monthly statement. Present your dramatization to the class. As call centre jobs continue to flow out of Australia, the industry is exporting more than just employment to India. It is exporting Western culture. In what ways is India being westernized? What social and cultural repercussions might this have for India? Based on some of the issues raised in the film, research and discuss the process of Westernization in India and other parts of the world. Investigate any existing or potential backlash against such a process. Outsourcing has been prevalent for a long time and it is not a new phenomenon. Why is it such a hot topic at the moment? Discuss the ways in which the BPO industry is changing the process of outsourcing and its specific impact on women in India. Why does Genpact CEO Pramod Bhasin describe this as a ‘defining moment’ for India? • Over the next few years, 40,000 Australian finance sector jobs are predicted to go offshore. What impact will this have on the Australian economy? According to the film, what new opportunities in Australia might replace some of these jobs? Imagine that you are an Australian employee working in a call centre. How would you upgrade or diversify your skills to compete with the offshore market? Discuss. Explore the development of one of the Indian women profiled in OUTSOURCED! Write a scene from a movie that imagines the personal and professional interests of one of these women in more detail. Use the table below to recall some of the women’s characteristics.
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Character Brief
Santosh Kohli: Got her job through a community non-government organi-
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ABOVE: FOUR AUSTRALIAN CALL CENTRE WORKERS
zation scheme, providing her with a rare opportunity to gain access to an industry predominantly fuelled by the English-speaking middle class. Her parents are anxious about their daughter working at night. Ekta Jaiswal: Breaking with the past, drawing criticism for a lifestyle that includes drinking, smoking and sex. Minal Varma: Firmly focused on her career, much to the consternation of her mother who desperately wants her daughter to marry. Renuka Chibber Khot: Defiantly married a Genpact colleague who belongs to a different religion, and is now trying to juggle work and family life. • Which of the women do you feel is most profoundly challenging Indian traditions and norms through her career in a BPO? What risks has she taken to achieve her position in the company? The employees in Australia: Stacia Saunders, Milli Vukovic, Sam Collyer and Kassey Dickie discuss their experiences working over the past five years in various call centre jobs,
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including market research, sales and customer service. Compare one of these characters with one of the Indian women. What are their similarities and differences? What do you think would be learned if one of the Australian employees undertook an exchange to a BPO in India? Write a diary of an Australian employee imagining that they are spending a week in India as part of a professional and cultural exchange. Now write a diary in the voice of one of the Indian women on exchange to Australia. Explain in the entry the challenges and pleasures they would encounter under each scenario.
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Questions and Activities for Students of Media Studies
• Have the issues in the film been presented evenly? Do you think it’s important for documentary filmmakers to do so? Compare documentary and feature films. Using the characters presented in OUTSOURCED!, write a
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short screenplay turning one aspect of the documentary into a drama script. Does the subject lend itself to a drama script? As a class, discuss the differences between these two formats, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each. Discuss the filmmaking techniques used to create OUTSOURCED! What, in particular, did you notice about the way the film was shot and edited? What about the use of voiceover and music? Dissect the program into its component parts, identifying the key roles that would have been needed for each. What were some of the difficulties the filmmakers would have encountered in terms of access and confidentiality in producing the documentary? Write a one-page treatment for a documentary that investigates an important issue facing your local community. Discuss each treatment as a class, and vote for one idea for the class to produce as a team.
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(Endnote) 1 The company name Gecis is used in the film but has since been changed to Genpact.
This study guide was produced by ATOM © ATOM 2006 [email protected] For more information on Screen education magazine or to download other free study guides, visit www.metromagazine.com.au For hundreds of articles on Film as Text, Screen Literacy, Multiliteracy and Media Studies, visit www.theeducationshop.com.au
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SCREEN EDUCATION