XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

JS-39

Business Enterprises and Development : Qualitative Approaches and Case Studies I

RC09 Social Transformations and Sociology of Development (host committee)
RC02 Economy and Society

Language: English and French

The positives impacts of business enterprises on social and economic development are often alleged by economists, based on statistics, numbers and figures at the macro level.

Conversely, the negative impacts such as the exploitation of workers, the destruction of the traditional way of life, the expropriation of the poor, the health and environmental damages have been often documented by sociologists and activists in all parts of the word.

In responds to theses critics, large corporations have developed a window dressing strategy. Green washing, social responsibility allegations and others propaganda formula have made the understanding of what is actually going on even more confuse.

The aim of this session is to discuss positive as well as negative impacts of business enterprises activities on local development.

We expect well documented qualitative observations and cases studies in order to develop a renewed theoretical approach of the contribution of business enterprises to development.