ENV 640b () / 2025-2026

Ethical Consumption: Promoting Workers’ Rights, Fair Prices, and Sustainability

Credits: 3 Spring 2026: Time and location TBA

Many people want the things they consume to be made in just and sustainable ways, but the market does not automatically meet this kind of consumer demand. Often consumers, like workers, must organize and act collectively if they are to bend market dynamics toward their ethical concerns. This course examines historical and contemporary efforts to do just that, focusing on the apparel and food supply chains and the social movements, past and present, that have tried to change the dynamics of these sectors. We explore the strategies and actions of these consumer organizing efforts, what they were able to achieve, and what factors account for varying degrees of success. Our overarching goal is to learn how to increase the effectiveness of such efforts.
Limited to 25