Looking behind the Label, livre ebook

Read an excerpt from the book Connect: Tim Bartley's website Framing the Global website Global Studies on FacebookWhat does it mean when consumers "shop with a conscience" and choose products labeled as fair or sustainable? Does this translate into meaningful changes in global production processes? To what extent are voluntary standards implemented and enforced, and can they really govern global industries? Looking behind the Label presents an informative introduction to global production and ethical consumption, tracing the links between consumers' choices and the practices of multinational producers and retailers. Case studies of several types of products—wood and paper, food, apparel and footwear, and electronics—are used to reveal what lies behind voluntary rules and to critique predominant assumptions about ethical consumption as a form of political expression.AcknowledgmentsList of Commonly Used AcronymsIntroduction: Rules, Responsibilities, and Rights in the Global EconomyPart I: Making Sense of Conscientious Consumerism1. The Making of Conscientious Consumers: Individual and National Patterns2. Dilemmas of Conscientious ConsumerismPart II: Behind the Label: Global Production and the Meaning of Standards3. Wood and Paper Products: Searching for Sustainability4. Food: Global Agriculture and Local Development 5. Apparel and Footwear: Standards for Sweatshops6. Electronics: The Hidden Costs of ComputingConclusion: Beyond Conscientious ConsumerismAppendixNotesReferencesIndex