Anti-corporate activism and market change: the role of contentious valuations
Abstract
The contentiousness of markets has recently been assessed by the
social movements literature. Activists can use a broad range of
tactics to compel corporations to change their practices. This
paper examines the outcomes of this contentiousness. It draws on
an empirical study of a disruptive tactic used by anti-corporate
activists: the shame-on-you prize. I propose to adopt an economic
sociological perspective to understand the mechanisms by which
social movement organizations seek to undermine the values that
underpin the economic order. Activists provide new categories for
valuating economic activities that challenge the existing ones.
Social movement organizations legitimate these valuations as coming
from civil society and reflecting public expectations about what
should count in valuations of economic activities. As such, they may
encourage public decision-makers to undertake regulatory action.
Domains
SociologyOrigin | Files produced by the author(s) |
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