Week 4 Recognition, relationality, & representation- Participation in responsible & sustainable business practices MGF5020 S2 1, 2025 Presentation title 1 Questioning production patterns to ensure responsible consumption.
2 Learning outcomes (1, 2, 3, &5).
Department unit learning outcome (ULO) for all Units:
Demonstrate knowledge or skills for crafting sustainable futures for
people, organizations, communities, and/or the environment • Discuss the concept of recognition and the relational approach. -struggles for
recognition
• Explain the perspectives of feminist and Indigenous ethics of care.
•
Describe how these ethical perspectives interact with the concepts of relationality,
responsibility, rights, and equity -the ideas that are underpinned by the idea of
recognition .
•
Interpret and elaborate on representation, struggle for Recognition
and
innovative
ideas for participation Week3: Learning Objectives Discuss the concept of recognition and the
relational approach
-struggles for recognition
by bringing back the idea of global constituency
-why we need to grasp the meaning of global
constituency
-How this
perspective interacts with the idea of responsibility & ethical decision-making
– Recognition
– Relationality
– Responsibility
and rights
Presentation title 3 Global constituency : The Rana Plaza Accident& Compliance
Based approach 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0fr4O1_M1s Ethical Trading Initiative
in case of the global
supply chain of apparel – Example of
relationality and responsibility in relation to
others. : Should MNCs be required to observe
fundamental human rights (and be liable
for their violation)? •Why is this an issue now? (Are
companies really behaving worse?) •Should we extend human rights
responsibilities to corporate actors? •(Will discuss more in week 8) Global constituency : The Rana Plaza Accident& Compliance
Based approach 5
The reality of workers of the
Rana Plaza Tower
Should MNCs be required to
observe fundamental human
rights (and be liable for their
violation)? •Why is this an issue now?
(Are companies really
behaving worse?) •Should we extend human
rights responsibilities to
corporate actors? •(Will discuss more in week 8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0fr4O1_M1s Ethical Trading Initiative in case of the global supply chain
of apparel – Example of relationality and responsibility in
relation to others.: Political Consumerism / the notion of global constituency
▪ The activities of MNCs have raised moral questions in relation to sweatshops, child labor, human rights and
Environmental degradation
▪ Collected /global responsibility (Sen.,2000/2013).
Marketization and globalism are the contextual conditions of the emergence of this consumer society if this is the
dominant sphere.
• Unit of analysis: Supply chain and recognition of vulnerable stakeholders
Actions are: the functioning of multiple stakeholders by mobilizing multiple channels or the public sphere for
recognition that is underpinned by the idea of equity.
We notice the functioning of the multiple public spheres that exemplify the care for others or women
workers. Herein lies the implications of the term global constituency.
political consumerism or responsible consumption
6 Challenges of Globalization: Global ethics issues The emergence of the Accord and Alliance implies the enacting of compliance measures by the
multi-level stakeholders- as the official public sphere that included brands, suppliers and the
NGOs working on workers’ rights.
. In a similar way, the Accord and Alliance emerged because of the recognition of women workers’ plight
by the global constituency.
Fraser and Spivak discuss relational recognition or situated aspects of recognition. This recognized nonrecognition is an institutionalized social relation and exemplifies a status injury –
the expendable life of the women workers
. Presentation title 7 key characteristics of fast fashion and how they contribute to sustainability issues
Within the industry Fast fashion is low-cost, low-quality, on-trend apparel, and it dominates the modern fashion industry.
Retailers such as H&M, Zara, Topshop, Forever 21, and Old Navy are examples.
❑ Within the fast fashion model of production, the concept of “seasons” is practically obsolete ❑ The use of low-quality materials and manufacturing processes, leading to rock-bottom prices.
Unlike a traditional retailer, the markups between wholesale and retail prices are minimal—with the companies relying on high
sales volume for-profit and banking on selling almost all their stock. Fast fashion is also, unfortunately, the driver behind much of the human rights and environmental challenges present within the fashion industry. ❑ Labor and Human Rights Abuses in the Fashion Industry ❑ Environmental Consequences of the Fashion IndustRY – textile manufacturing facility uses 1.6 million liters of water per day
(Kahn & Malik, 2014) Presentation title 8 Political Consumerism / the notion of global constituency
Four major forms of political consumerism: ❑
Boycotting through pressure tactics that included boycotts the anti-sweatshop campaign took place
back in 1990s
❑ Buycotting: Juxtaposing campaigns urging consumers to not buy particular brands or purchase from
Certain retailers, buycotts encourage consumers to “buy better” and support “good” companies and products.
❑
Lifestyle: s underlying campaigns focused on buying socially and environmentally ❑ responsible fashion
Both the slow fashion movement and fashion-related product service systems
are consumer lifestyle strategies gaining traction in response to fast fashion.
❑ Discursive strategies: In the fashion industry, discursive strategies (communicative and
noneconomic actions intended to generate consumer understanding about an issue) as a form of
political consumerism can be effective. European campaigns tend to focus more on discursive
strategies. Presentation title 9 Global constituency from relational recognition and struggles for recognition
Slowly, global consciousness
evolved or evolved
surrounding the issue increased and a transnational, grassroots
network of activists advocating for improved human rights in garment factories emerged demonstrating politics
consumerism activity
By the end of the twentieth century, the antisweatshop movement had successfully contributed towards initiating change within the fashion industry.
Presentation title 10
As human beings we are inherently relational and responsive beings.
• Ethical Awareness may arise -Empathy- Relationality and situatedness in recognition
-Reflexivity or reflexive thinking –cause and effects (eg, where our clothes come
from)−Responsibility: Engagement & involvement or avoidance
Feminist and indigenous Perspectives of Ethics
of care: Recognition and
relationality Presentation title 11 Integrating recognition as a matter of ‘the right’ and equity- participating as a peer in social life
and addressing the injustice
Integrity-based approaches are mainly rooted in the situated concerns and demonstrate Praxis: aligning
concerns/genuine commitments to performative actions and for constituting the common good. The Ethic of Care: Four Key Elements
An ethic of care implies
a. Attention to particular others in actual contexts
b. Empathetic understanding
c. Relationship Awareness: this is an issue of recognition by going our
own accounts, so accountability d. Harmony: one must respond in a way that balance is preserved and
nurtured.
A commitment to dialogue as the primary means of moral deliberation
Presentation title 12 Three Conditions:
1. A relationship exists.
2. A need for care exists.
3. We have the ability to provide care
(Spivak, )
The Ethics of Care • The ethics of care stresses the moral force of the responsibility to respond to the
needs of the call – who sends the call
“To care and to be cared for”. •
It values moral emotions such as “sympathy, empathy, sensitivity, and
responsiveness,” and even “anger may be a component of the moral indignation that
should be felt when people are treated unjustly or inhumanely. (Held, 2006, 10) . In the Ethic of Care, one seeks to develop a skill at giving care appropriately all the while
balancing the amount of care necessary to sustain oneself. Since there is a goal: Presentation title 13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1bxBWfwelk https://www.benjerry.com/values Feminist Ethics and ethics of care
14 One is not born, but rather
becomes, a woman.” The Second
Sex –(1949). Simone de Beauvoir • One’s life has value so long as one attributes
value to the life of others, by means of love,
friendship, indignation and compassion.
• All oppression creates a state of war.
• Sensitivity to the needs of others
• the feeling of responsibility for taking
care
Joan Acker –1989). Doing comparable worth:
gender, class,
and pay equity
Questions of inequality &
identity
Inequality regimes in the
organisational context –
Application of feminist ethics The ethics of care
15
In a Different Voice- • Different voice”—a voice that joined self with relationship and reason with emotion.
• Focuses on actual rather than hypothetical situations •it is the ethic of a democratic society – recognition and representation
-Invokes “asymmetrical reciprocity”
– shared expectations
-ethics of representation” can sensitize •An ethics of care is key to human survival and also to the realization of a global society. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W_9MozRoKE
, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZGkqZtueM Held, 2006
Gilligan, Carol, In a Different Voice,
Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University
Press, 1982 Presentation title 16 Fraser
and Spivak
– Current critical feminist scholars
– address and attend to the voices of others – that is, focusing on recognition
• The concept of recognition as the ultimate foundation of ethical and political
sustainability
Questioning institutionalized status. Because institutionalized patterns as cultural values already
constituted some actors as inferior, excluded, wholly other or simply invisible, hence as less
than full partners in social interaction, that is, misrecognition and status subordination. [ fyi
Additional readings ] Justice Model
Emphasis on Autonomy Rule & principle directed Appeal to what is just
Focus on integrity
Ethic of Care Emphasis on Relationships
Context dependent Appeal to “compromise & accommodation” Focus on caring
responsiveness Traditional ethical theories tend to be individualistic, the ethics of care,
Gilligan: says that
The roots cause is
humans we are by nature
empathic and responsive
beings
Jake: “Stealing is wrong”
Amy: “It depends,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfxwf-or3qg Insights from Feminist ethics 1. Relationality
• ethical self-other relations are intersubjective and interdependent
• identity is relational, not autonomous
• relational intimacy is more important than autonomy
2. Responsibility: • sensitivity to the needs of others as overriding concern
•
taking rather than having responsibility
3. Affectivity and representation: developing a critical friendship
• interest in the perspectives of marginalized groups and individuals
• broader awareness of the multitude of human interactions possible (social sensitivity)
• broader awareness of the multitude of ethical dimensions of human behavior (ethical
sensitivity)
• reaction to oppression and systematic subordination 17 Feminist ethics and business ethics- Do you find anything problematic here?
.1.Does it
offer a business case for
creating relational well-being and
wealth?
2.Do you think inter-connectedness is a
‘massive illusion?
Wisdom values through an ethic of care kaitiakitanga
(stewardship)-indigenous perspectives
Maori
English translation
aroha
Love, care, compassion
hau
Promote, and maintain vitality
hapai
Uplift others
kotahitanga
Create alliance; unity, connectedness
manaaki
Respect, kindness
matauranga
Knowledge, understanding, skill
môhio
Realize, recognize
pono
Honesty, truthfulness
tawhito
Expert, authority
tika
Just, right, correct, appropriate behavior
whakapapa
honoring of ancestors, recognition of the human
connectedness to all of creation
whanaungatanga Relationship • Spiritual -conscious wellbeing: Rimú ,
and Miro,
Miro , a guide saw a spiritual contribution in being able to ‘give of yourself Rimu explained the contribution Maori could make to the world through the
energy of togetherness • Cultural well-being: fostering economic activity that does not erode culture in the
process and basis is ethic of right way.
• .Social wellbeing- Social-Mana – the ethic of power for creating the common good • Environmental wellbeing
-kaitiaki, a steward and guardian of the earth’s resource • Economic- long-term equivalence is by adding value.
• Hence meaning well-being that is consciously created.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7oxLaYsvP0 Five well-being- Relational Well-Being and Wealth Describe how perspective of ethics of care
interact with the idea of responsibility and rights,
and justice
Presentation title 21 We denote transitions:
From the narrow focus on individual virtues, values, and behavior” towards
stakeholders [the contractual relations with a business, such as
their
employer), and with the rules of governance[ the laws and regulations that
dictate rights and duties within and for this business]
Feminist perspectives of ethics of care recognition structure and relationality in
ethical practice and ask to consider-
–
beyond corporate governance and the “beyond-compliance” norms [beyond so- called stockholder and stakeholder perspectives of governance and management]
& shows that
the responsibility links equity [recognition and right]
and
Principles
of justice beyond compliance obligations.
Presentation title 22 Constructing of common values of
responsibility based on the four ethical principles of
protection of the human person: autonomy, dignity,
integrity, and vulnerability (Rendtorff & Kemp, 2000).
Recognition and relationality : Fraser and from the feminists’ perspectives
The recognition orientation seeks to develop a new normative paradigm that puts recognition at its centre. It -Claims for the recognition of difference imply how paradigms of justice usually aligned with ‘morality’ can
handle Construing the first as a matter of ‘the right’ and the second as a matter of ‘the good’,
Social movements, particularly for scholars who understand gender as a social relation, look at the recognition
of gender differences.
Requires decoupling of cultural politics from social politics, of the politics of difference from the politics of
equality
Recognition works for redistribution
Recognition denotes how the idea of responsibility works based on the relational
approach.
Presentation title Cont… Recognition works for redistribution.
And from ‘redistribution’ to ‘recognition While the former concept is tied to a vision of justice, which aims to achieve social equality through a redistribution of the
material necessities for existence as free subjects, in the latter concept, the conditions for a just society come to be
defined as the recognition of the personal dignity of all individuals (Fraser, 1995).
Then ‘dignity’ or ‘recognition’-
the current phenomenon of a ‘politics of identity’- is here treated as a normative category, which corresponds to all those
political demands raised today under the banner of a ‘politics of identity’.
OUR FOCUS: Struggles for recognition
Recognition denotes how the idea of responsibility works based on the relational approach Presentation title 24 Interpret, translate and elaborate on
representation, struggle for
Recognition
and
Innovative ideas
for participation Presentation title 25 Child labor still exists in soccer ball
production in Pakistan in 2007 For example, two young girls, approximately 16 and 14 years
of age, had been stitching for the last 5 years. These girls
hailed from a relatively affluent background. Their father had
been a worker in Saudi Arabia and had managed to
accumulate some savings. Then illness struck their mother. The medical bills accumulated and their savings dwindled.
Eventually, to just make ends meet and put food on the table,
both girls entered the labor market. “ [I] stitch because I have to take care of the family. Father
died [due to sudden illness]. [I am] Supporting my siblings.
We can either earn at home or we can go ahead to school.
But how can we go ahead? How can we get out of our
situation? How can we go ahead when we have to earn”. . –(Khan, 2007) [week 5]
23 Example: corporate ethics – CSR approach and complaints, rights & socio economic reality and non-recognition and non-representation
Contested compliance regimesThe Rana Plaza Disaster: • Competing Governance Mechanisms in MSIs: • The Accord is seen as having stronger worker representation. It aims to ensure the safety and rights of workers by requiring a
legally binding commitment from brands to address worker safety concerns. The Alliance, on the other hand, is a more CSR-based approach, primarily favored by US corporations, and emphasizes corporate social responsibility over direct worker
involvement. • The Accord was designed to emphasize worker representation, specifically improving safety conditions through engagement.
with labor unions and workers’ organizations. • The Alliance, by contrast, leans more on corporate compliance, with limited involvement/representation of trade union
federations in the advisory board. Key Issues: • Lack of Worker Representation: It has been argued that the Accord did not reflect the principles of a tripartite system, which
implies active participation by workers in decision-making and safety management processes & fails to effectively represent
women workers, who are often marginalized in these compliance frameworks. 27 • Misrecognition of Women Workers: • There was no representation of women workers/trade union leaders in the Accord
and the Alliance. This exclusion is a critical issue, as it leaves the specific needs of
female workers unaddressed in efforts to improve safety and working conditions. The Accord’s Aims and Limitations: • The Accord aims to promote sustainable development of “all “across the garment sector,
but it does not clearly address the sustainable development needs of women workers,
who form a significant portion of the workforce in this industry [Non-recognition]
•There is a need for a more inclusive approach that incorporates the voices and needs, but it
does not clearly address the sustainable development needs of women workers, who form a
significant portion of the workforce in this industry. MSI of compliance needs a more inclusive approach that recognizes the voices and needs of
women workers to ensure truly sustainable and effective improvements.
Presentation title 28 Alamgir & Banerjee (2019). Contested compliance regimes in global production networks: Insights from the Bangladesh garment industry. Human Relations, 72.2:272-297 Compliance Codes and Women Workers’ (Mis)representation and (Non) recognition in the Apparel Industry of Bangladesh Fahreen Alamgir1 · Ozan N. Alakavuklar2 Received: 9 October 2017 / Accepted: 29
November 2018 / Published online: 4 December 2018 Sustainability and Business Ethics and Praxis [
week 1, 2 & 3 ]
• The approach to sustainability and business ethics is based on a comprehensive theory
of responsibility, ethics, and legitimacy, or it implies integrative business ethics.
• Unpacking integrative aspects reveals:
The relationship between business and capitalism by bringing in responsibility
aspects and the functioning of business and society
Feminist perspectives unpack:
Relational recognition and issues of equity and justice to address “domination and
oppression
for a society that recognizes the equal moral worth of all persons by
involving the states and businesses [corporations].
Under the condition of globalization and its transnational governance, we mark the
emergence of the Multilevel stakeholders’ form of governance.
The role of multinational companies (MNCs) and global organizational assemblages as
we see the formation of ETI, or EITI for the extractive industry –the
MSI form of
labor governance or their modes of organizing.
Application: Responsible Consumption
Rights of the workers’: Recognition and
equity
Work choices, collective bargaining,
and union membership- inalienable
entitlements that are inherent to all
human beings, without exception Influence on the UNDHR The UNDHR: Poverty, development and issues
of development of capability as argued by
the United Nations and as reflected in the
Sustainable Development Goals.
Denotes duties and obligations or recognition of
our duty and responsibility
Also denotes sustainable development of all –
as the end itself
Presentation title 30 Amartya Sen’s
rights-based approach and ‘ perspective of justice will
be discussed from the week 5 SDGs imply, in the context of globalization, how to eradicate poverty and
international economic inequality.
So, we need a reflexive space to think
about responsibility and move toward
international justice based on rights.
SDGs are the foundations of material, social and political transformation
and could help the business, state and civil society to secure legitimate
domination through democratization such as the MSI form of governance. . The recent emergence of concerns with ..vision and values,” and “a
sense of purpose” in the mainstream conversations about business Summary
Discuss ethics of care.
The root of ethics of care is embedded in feminist
Ethics of care:
• Recognition and representation in relation to
rights, entitlements, equality and distribution
justice
• Reflexivity and relationality
• Relationality and responsibility
• Responsibility with accountability and
responsibility – duty and obligations
• Duty and obligations are issues of rights –
equality and equity
Indigenous perspective shows us – how to exert
ethics of care as a responsible citizen or carer.
Presentation title 31 Reference
Fraser, N (2001). Recognition without Ethics? Theory, Culture & Society 18(2–3):
21-42 Fraser N (2005). Reframing Global Justice New Left Review; 36, 69-87 Spivak, GC (1994) Responsibility,
boundary 2 , 21(3 ):19-64 Spiller, C. et. al (2011). Wise Up: Creating Organizational Wisdom Through an
Ethics of Kaitiakitanga. Journal Business Ethics. 104,223-235.
Ozkazanc-Pan (2019). CSR as Gendered Neocoloniality in the Global South.
Journal of Business Ethics , 160:851–864 Manning, R. (1991)
