Project: The Swiss Commodity Sector as a Matter-of-Public-Concern: Inquiring Processes of Contestation, Justification and Change
| crisfund.investigators | Wettstein, Florian | |
| crisfund.investigators | Dey, Pascal | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-04-13T12:03:59Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-04-13T12:03:59Z | |
| dc.description | Overview: Switzerland is a global stronghold in the commodity sector, accounting for an estimated 15-25% of global trade in mining and agricultural commodities. Having remained outside of the public spotlight for many years, Swiss-based commodity firms have found themselves faced with increasing criticism in recent years. Broadly inspired by existing research on contentious markets and social movements, this project offers a fine-grained, theoretically informed and empirically based, account of how the Swiss commodity sector has been turned into a ‘matter-of-public-concern’, i.e. an object of public contestation and critique. Research Questions: Combining empirical research and normative assessment (moral justification), the project aims to throw into sharper relief how particular translations of the Swiss commodity sector gained stability and legitimacy due to the ability of particular actors to enroll dispersed actors with different interests and beliefs into a broader network. The following interrelated research questions are at the heart of the project: (1a) How did particular (networks of) actors challenge the Swiss commodity sector by translating individual concerns and divergent interests into broader matters-of-public-concern?; (1b) Which higher common principles do these translations draw on to justify particular allegations and demands, and how do commodity firms react to them?; (2) To what extent do the justifications and practical reactions of commodity firms measure up to cutting-edge academic debates about the corporate responsibility of international business? Theoretical Foundation: The project draws on three important works: first, Actor-Network Theory-based theory of translation; second, the theory of justification; and third, normative theories of corporate responsibility. The theory of translation permits us to focus on how (networks of) actors seek influence over the commodity sector by interpreting it in certain ways, thus mobilizing supporters around specific concerns and demands to open up the commodity sector to innovation and change. The theory of justification in turn allows us to take a closer look at the common higher principles being summoned by commodity firms to render their vindications, demands and practical reactions morally sound. Finally, three contemporary normative theories of corporate responsibility are invoked to confront commodity firms’ everyday moral reasoning and reactions with academic debates about how corporations ought to act. Contribution: The contribution this project makes is three-fold: first, it lays the foundation for a nuanced and empirically based understanding of how corporate actors become subject to public contestation, and how these problematizations create openings for discursive and practical changes to emerge (e.g. voluntary commitments, stronger governance systems or multistakeholder-initiatives). Second, the project contributes to knowledge of contentious markets and the politics of multinational business by shedding light on how interlocking processes of translation and networking succeed in bringing debates on the ‘value’ and ‘responsibility’ of the commodity sector to public attention. And third, this project seeks to reconcile the divide between empirical research and normative assessment by demonstrating how empirical research can be productively used as a basis for moral evaluations of corporate practices. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/57682 | |
| dc.subject | Actor-Network Theory (ANT) | |
| dc.subject | commodity sector | |
| dc.subject | matters-of-public-concern | |
| dc.subject | translation | |
| dc.subject | justification | |
| dc.subject | problematization | |
| dc.subject | change | |
| dc.subject | corporate responsibility | |
| dc.subject | normative evaluation | |
| dc.subject | Switzerland | |
| dc.title | The Swiss Commodity Sector as a Matter-of-Public-Concern: Inquiring Processes of Contestation, Justification and Change | |
| dc.type | fundamental research project | |
| dspace.entity.type | Funding | |
| oairecerif.funder | SNF – Third Party | |
| oairecerif.funding.endDate | 2023-02-01 | |
| oairecerif.funding.startDate | 2019-03-01 | |
| oairecerif.funding.status | ongoing | |
| oairecerif.internalid | SNF: 100017_182121 | |
| stgallen.alexandria.projectId | 247718 | |
| stgallen.division | SHSS - School of Humanities and Social Sciences | |
| stgallen.division | University of St.Gallen | |
| stgallen.division | IWE - Institute for Business Ethics | |
| stgallen.funding.range | Institute/School | |
| stgallen.funding.rangeDe | Institut/School |