Enacting the Ethical Consumer

Dr Clive Barnett (Open University) asks how do consumers know when they are acting responsibly? Are they making a difference when they buy "Fairtrade" or "certified organic"? Can consumers trust these kinds of accreditations? This presentation will focus on developing a theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between the range of activities used by campaign organisations to enrol support and the ways in which ordinary people attribute meaning to the multiple demands placed on them as 'consumers' to act responsibly. Part of the Michaelmas Term Seminar Series 2010 - 'Certification and Sustainability'