Call for papers, AAG 2013, Los Angeles, CA
Unpacking ‘ethical’ markets: Academic and industry research methods
Organizers: Trina Hamilton, Department of Geography, University at
Buffalo (SUNY), Roberta Hawkins and Jennifer Silver, Department of
Geography, University of Guelph
In light of geographers’ growing interest in corporate social
responsibility (CSR), ‘consuming for change’, eco-certification, and all
manner of ‘ethical’ markets, we propose a paper session focused on
discussing and developing the research methods used to account for and
untangle these markets. While there have been many important studies of
commodity chains and ethical markets in practice, the methods used to
investigate and represent these complex phenomena are less often debated
and synthesized. We hope to stimulate a discussion of the methods used
in research on the spatial and relational dynamics of all manner of
ethical markets.
Papers may address questions such as:
• How do we track the spaces and relations of ethical markets and
evaluate their outcomes?
• How do we identify and articulate drivers of ethical market
creation, diffusion, and change?
• (How) can we rank and rate governance systems and participant firms?
• How can we research and depict the subject formation of ‘ethical
consumers’ and analyze expanding ethical market participation?
• (How) can methods like participant observation and discourse analysis
be employed in this research agenda?
• How do we collect, evaluate and analyze internet-based data?
• What ethical challenges do we face as researchers in this research
environment?
• How can critical (feminist, postcolonial) research methods be used in
ethical market research?
• What are the largest challenges we face in fleshing out ethical
market networks over space and time?
We welcome submissions from a diversity of sub-disciplines, research
sites, and specific ethical markets, and we look forward to sharing
ideas about the practical constraints, political implications, and the
cross-cutting potential of different methods.
Please send all inquiries and proposed abstracts to Trina Hamilton
(trina...@buffalo.edu) by October 1, 2012.
--
Trina Hamilton, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
University at Buffalo (SUNY)
105 Wilkeson Quad, North Campus
Buffalo, New York 14261
Email: trina...@buffalo.edu
Voice: (716) 645-0482
Web: http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~trinaham/
