Nora Räthzel
Umeå University, Sociology, Faculty Member
- Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Psychology, Trade unions, Critical Theory, Sustainable Development, and 15 morePolitical Theory, Marxism, Postcolonial Studies, Continental Philosophy, Environmental Sustainability, World-Ecology, Marxist theory, World-Systems Analysis, Political Economy of Development, Civil Society, World Systems Analysis, Political Ecology, History of Capitalism, World System, and World-Systems Theoryedit
This article begins with examples of successful environmental union policies and actions in the workplace, paying particular attention to Comisiones Obreras (Spain), TUC (United Kingdom) and NUMSA (South Africa). It argues that some of... more
This article begins with examples of successful environmental union policies and actions in the workplace, paying particular attention to Comisiones Obreras (Spain), TUC (United Kingdom) and NUMSA (South Africa). It argues that some of the ways in which the concept of just transition has been translated into international trade union policies fail to recognize the inseparable relationship between labour and nature. Showing that natural resources do not allow a green growth, it suggests five steps for an alternative path to a just transition.
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Our aim in this paper is to critically discuss a dominant conceptualisation of the individual that informs much of Psychology where it is being applied to behaviour change strategies. Theories and concepts such as the selfish gene, or the... more
Our aim in this paper is to critically discuss a dominant conceptualisation of the individual that informs much of Psychology where it is being applied to behaviour change strategies. Theories and concepts such as the selfish gene, or the tragedy of the commons, we argue, have underpinned much of this research. The underlying assumption of these particular theories is that individuals are independent monads, cut off from societal relations and act in their egocentric interest. We also discuss some of the most influential contributions of Critical Psychology and Environmental Sociology, which criticize such individualistic approaches, arguing that they do not go far enough in rethinking the concept of the individual as a sum of its social relations. The German version of Critical Psychology, Kritische Psychologie, we suggest, provides an alternative view of human beings, their actions and capabilities, which can serve as a starting point for thinking and acting differently to create transformative pro-environmental practices.
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We investigate whether and how workers in a transnational oil corporation carry practices, meanings, and identities between the places of work and home, focusing on environmental and health and safety practices, in order to understand the... more
We investigate whether and how workers in a transnational oil corporation carry practices, meanings, and identities between the places of work and home, focusing on environmental and health and safety practices, in order to understand the larger question, how can environmentally relevant practices be generalized in society at large? Our theoretical starting point is that societal institutions function according to different logics (Thornton et al., 2012) and the borders (Clark, 2000) between these institutions create affordances and constraints on the transfer of practices between these places. By connecting their theoretical ideas, we suggest that these provide an alternative critique and explanatory account of the transfer of environmental practices between home and work than a " spillover " approach. We employ life history interviews to explore the development and complexity of the causes, justifications, and legitimations of people's actions, social relationships, and the structural constraints which govern relationships between these spaces. While Clark's concepts of permeable, strong, or blended borders are useful heuristic tools, people may simultaneously strengthen, transgress, or blend the borders between work and home in terms of practices, meanings, identities, or institutional logics. Individuals have to be understood as creators of the border crossing process, which is why their life histories and the ways in which their identities and their attachments to places (i.e., institutions) are shaped by the logics of these places are important. For environmental practices to travel from work to home, they need to become embedded in a company culture that allows their integration into workers' identities.
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This paper presents the life histories of two environmentally engaged unionists in South Africa, who were decisive for formulating the environmental programmes of their respective trade unions. Our analysis shows how their experiences of... more
This paper presents the life histories of two environmentally engaged unionists in South Africa, who were decisive for formulating the environmental programmes of their respective trade unions. Our analysis shows how their experiences of participating in the resistance against apartheid in universities and factories taught them the necessity to connect different struggles. It therefore equipped them with the knowledge and ability to connect the fight for workers’ rights with the fight against environmental degradation and climate change. Nevertheless, while developing an environmental programme for their unions, both activists experienced the difficulty of integrating the issue of ‘the environment’ politically and practically into a trade union agenda. The reason for this, we argue, is that the labour movement has traditionally experienced nature as labour’s ‘other’, a place outside of work to be protected and enjoyed for recreation. While nature constitutes an indispensable condition for labour, it has nevertheless been privately appropriated by Capital. For environmental policies to form an integral part of a trade union agenda, nature needs to be wrestled away from its appropriation by Capital and understood as an inseparable ally of labour.
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This Special issue is a contribution to environmental labour studies, which aims to investigate the practices and theories that integrate labour and nature, by focusing on labour environmentalism. While nature is privately appropriated... more
This Special issue is a contribution to environmental labour studies, which aims to investigate the practices and theories that integrate labour and nature, by focusing on labour environmentalism. While nature is privately appropriated and exploited by Capital, workers’ organisations tend to construct nature as labour’s other, a place to enjoy or a place to be protected from destruction at best. Therefore, in order for labour environmentalism (and for environmentalism in general) to reach a ‘substantial depth’, the labour-nature divide needs to be overcome. Environmental theory and practice need to start from the insight that labour and nature are inextricably linked, are two necessary dimensions of the same process. In the following introductory article to this special issue we present our view of what environmental labour studies is investigating and might investigate in the future and the place of labour environmentalism within this broader agenda. We also suggest an analytical framework to evaluate the depth, breadth, and level of agency of the variations of labour environmentalism. We argue that the relationship between labour and nature, environmental and social justice, account for the depth of labour environmentalism, while spatial scale and scope account for its breadth. Whether labour is a pro-active or re-active agent in devising environmental strategies is the third evaluative criterion. We suggest that environmental labour studies can be a way of studying not only the intersections between social and environmental justice, climate change and working conditions but can also contribute to building a bridge between environmental theory and practice.
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This paper aims to advance knowledge about corporate environmentalism by using new concepts and methods. We broaden the concept of the firm as " differentiated composite actor " by including not only managers but workers and unionists as... more
This paper aims to advance knowledge about corporate environmentalism by using new concepts and methods. We broaden the concept of the firm as " differentiated composite actor " by including not only managers but workers and unionists as actors. We descend into the " hidden abode of production " using Lefebvre's concept of " everyday life " to explore the barriers environmental policies experience in this sphere. We base our explorations on life-history interviews to understand how the imaginaries of production are embedded in people's self-conceptions. We identify seven barriers to the implementation of environmental practices: deficient regulations, collusion between controller and controlled, de-prioritisation, hierarchism, compartmentalisation, specialisation, and social unsustainability. A " necessity discourse, " legitimating the priority of efficiency and product quality over environmental sustainability, subjugates alternative sustainable practices. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results in the light of previous investigations, suggesting that the concept of the everyday could enrich future research.
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In the past, environmental movements and labour movements have seen each other as opponents. Where labour movements have taken an interest in nature– in the first half of the 20th century - it was in the context of campaigning for spaces... more
In the past, environmental movements and labour movements have seen each other as opponents. Where labour movements have taken an interest in nature– in the first half of the 20th century - it was in the context of campaigning for spaces of recreation, and later as a necessary condition for a healthy life. In both cases nature has been constructed as ‘the Other’ of labour. The same can be said for environmental movements, which have aimed to defend, if not protect nature ‘against labour’. This opposition has been mirrored in the academic field such that environmental studies have taken little account of labour; likewise, labour studies have largely ignored the environment. The authors argue that these oppositions are starting to be addressed within both the labour movement and academic research, largely as a response to the crisis of climate change which makes clear that both labour and the environment are threatened. Since environmental degradation and climate change are global issues the power relations between unions of the global North and South need to be tackled.
We argue that the majority of civil society conceptualizations employ a narrow concept of the state and a narrow concept of civil society. The life history of a Brazilian woman demonstrates that as individuals travel through state... more
We argue that the majority of civil society conceptualizations employ a narrow concept
of the state and a narrow concept of civil society. The life history of a Brazilian woman demonstrates
that as individuals travel through state institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs), they carry
conflicting worldviews with them which bear on the practices of CSOs. With Gramsci we recognize
civil society as a space where movements and the state struggle for hegemony; beyond him we
conceptualize CSOs as contradictory, being simultaneously of and against the state, while the
state is simultaneously outside and within them.
of the state and a narrow concept of civil society. The life history of a Brazilian woman demonstrates
that as individuals travel through state institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs), they carry
conflicting worldviews with them which bear on the practices of CSOs. With Gramsci we recognize
civil society as a space where movements and the state struggle for hegemony; beyond him we
conceptualize CSOs as contradictory, being simultaneously of and against the state, while the
state is simultaneously outside and within them.
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This paper puts forward an alternative view on sustainable development, arguing that the separation between the economy, the environment and the social in the Brundtland model obscures the societal character of the economy, the economic... more
This paper puts forward an alternative view on sustainable development, arguing
that the separation between the economy, the environment and the social in the
Brundtland model obscures the societal character of the economy, the economic
bases of the social, and the fact that the environment is a societal product. We
differentiate between strong and weak sustainability, arguing that the threat of
environmental degradation can only be addressed at the level of the relations of
production, consumption and political relations. Building on this perspective, we
advocate a form of transformative environmental education which engages learners
and teachers in a process of self-reflective transformation. We illustrate this
through two examples: action competence and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.
Keywords: strong sustainability; weak sustainability; transformative education;
relations of production; relations of consumption; political relations
that the separation between the economy, the environment and the social in the
Brundtland model obscures the societal character of the economy, the economic
bases of the social, and the fact that the environment is a societal product. We
differentiate between strong and weak sustainability, arguing that the threat of
environmental degradation can only be addressed at the level of the relations of
production, consumption and political relations. Building on this perspective, we
advocate a form of transformative environmental education which engages learners
and teachers in a process of self-reflective transformation. We illustrate this
through two examples: action competence and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.
Keywords: strong sustainability; weak sustainability; transformative education;
relations of production; relations of consumption; political relations
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"This book follows the history and global expansion of one of the hundred largest" "corporations in the world, Volvo AB. Once seen as the symbol of innovative work" "organisation, oriented towards worker participation and satisfaction,... more
"This book follows the history and global expansion of one of the hundred largest" "corporations in the world, Volvo AB. Once seen as the symbol of innovative work" "organisation, oriented towards worker participation and satisfaction, neo-liberalisation has transformed the company into a promoter of lean production, at the expense of the workers' needs. The company's strategies in Sweden, Mexico, South Africa, and India are explored through the stories of its workers: women describe their pleasure of learning and their struggles against discrimination in the workplace and in society at large; men and women speak about their pride as producers and their grievances as wageworkers. The workers' voices differ, but their concerns are shared, while their identities as industrial workers transcend national, gender, and generational boundaries as well as the diverse politics of their unions. Nevertheless, they have not yet translated their common experiences into collective, globalised action"
... Nordic'and its Reality in the South: The Experiences of Mexican Workers as Members of the'Volvo Family' Diana Mulinari and ... The Volvo Way includes policies (conceptualised as'... more
... Nordic'and its Reality in the South: The Experiences of Mexican Workers as Members of the'Volvo Family' Diana Mulinari and ... The Volvo Way includes policies (conceptualised as' European'/'Swedish') of equality such as the plant's restaurant that many workers mention when ...
Abstract This article aims to contribute to the rich literature on neoliberalization and trade unions in Mexico by providing an examination of the contradictory relationships between capital, trade unions and the workers they represent,... more
Abstract This article aims to contribute to the rich literature on neoliberalization and trade unions in Mexico by providing an examination of the contradictory relationships between capital, trade unions and the workers they represent, in a Swedish-based transnational corporation. ...
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It is no secret that the 'glass ceiling' preventing women advancing to leadership positions exists in academia as well. Spain is no exception. Gender relations are usually investigated independently of other power relations like class and... more
It is no secret that the 'glass ceiling' preventing women advancing to leadership positions exists in academia as well. Spain is no exception. Gender relations are usually investigated independently of other power relations like class and ethnicity. In our sample (80 men and women in different academic institutions across Spain) we found that not only women but also men from working class backgrounds have difficulties making successful academic careers. Therefore, we use an intersectional approach to investigate the relationship between gender and class. Comparing two life-histories, we explore what strategies individuals employ to overcome the barriers with which they are confronted. We present the stories of a woman with a middle class but non-academic background and of a man with a working-class background. Their strategies can be understood as the result of specific individual trajectories under specific societal conditions, but they also illustrate the barriers and possibilities men and women with non-standard backgrounds encounter in academia. Analysing successful strategies as well as their limitations, we aim to provide perspectives that might contribute to changing the culture of hegemonic masculinities in academia.
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Tomamos nossas próprias histórias de vida como pontos de partida para observar maneiras pelas quais mulheres foram politizadas na Argentina e no Oeste da Alemanha (nossos respectivos países de origem), focando tanto nas similaridades... more
Tomamos nossas próprias histórias de vida como pontos de partida para observar maneiras pelas quais mulheres foram politizadas na Argentina e no Oeste da Alemanha (nossos respectivos países de origem), focando tanto nas similaridades quanto nas diferenças de nosso processo de politização. Nosso intuito é colocar em uma perspectiva histórica as discussões atuais sobre movimentos políticos globais. Também queremos
evidenciar a centralidade das identidades políticas na construção de subjetividades específicas (de gênero). Nosso foco consiste em refletir teoricamente sobre as maneiras
pelas quais identidades (de gênero) privilegiadas releem criticamente suas próprias posições e transformam o próprio entendimento sobre elas mesmas e o mundo, através
do campo da política. Metodologicamente, queremos contribuir com as formas de repensar as metodologias feministas pela experimentação de uma forma de análise na qual nós somos, alternadamente, o sujeito e o objeto do nosso processo de pesquisa. O objetivo dessa intervenção é transgredir as oposições binárias entre pesquisador/pesquisado e desafiar compreensões tradicionais da ciência social em que
os pesquisadores fornecem análises e os informantes têm a “vivência”. Uma de nossas conclusões é que o movimento de 68 forneceu posições subjetivas para normalidades alternativas de vida como “outsider”, neste caso, para aqueles que pertenciam a grupos normalizados nas suas respectivas sociedades, mas que por diferentes razões (as quais nós analisamos algumas como sendo relativas à nossa formação como “mulheres”) não
poderiam se identificar com as normalidades dominantes oferecidas a eles nesses grupos. Ao mesmo tempo, o instrumental masculino dominante do movimento desconectou (algumas) mulheres e lhes permitiu (ou forçou-as a) um tipo de engajamento distante que, talvez paradoxalmente, consistiu na base para sustentar suas subjetividades políticas através de experiências transformadoras de derrota.
evidenciar a centralidade das identidades políticas na construção de subjetividades específicas (de gênero). Nosso foco consiste em refletir teoricamente sobre as maneiras
pelas quais identidades (de gênero) privilegiadas releem criticamente suas próprias posições e transformam o próprio entendimento sobre elas mesmas e o mundo, através
do campo da política. Metodologicamente, queremos contribuir com as formas de repensar as metodologias feministas pela experimentação de uma forma de análise na qual nós somos, alternadamente, o sujeito e o objeto do nosso processo de pesquisa. O objetivo dessa intervenção é transgredir as oposições binárias entre pesquisador/pesquisado e desafiar compreensões tradicionais da ciência social em que
os pesquisadores fornecem análises e os informantes têm a “vivência”. Uma de nossas conclusões é que o movimento de 68 forneceu posições subjetivas para normalidades alternativas de vida como “outsider”, neste caso, para aqueles que pertenciam a grupos normalizados nas suas respectivas sociedades, mas que por diferentes razões (as quais nós analisamos algumas como sendo relativas à nossa formação como “mulheres”) não
poderiam se identificar com as normalidades dominantes oferecidas a eles nesses grupos. Ao mesmo tempo, o instrumental masculino dominante do movimento desconectou (algumas) mulheres e lhes permitiu (ou forçou-as a) um tipo de engajamento distante que, talvez paradoxalmente, consistiu na base para sustentar suas subjetividades políticas através de experiências transformadoras de derrota.
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Research Interests: Cultural Studies and Law
We take our own life stories as points of departure to look at some of the ways in which women were politicized in Argentina and West Germany (our respective countries of origin), focusing on similarities as well as differences in our... more
We take our own life stories as points of departure to look at some of the ways in which women were politicized in Argentina and West Germany (our respective countries of origin), focusing on similarities as well as differences in our politicization processes. We aim at putting ...
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"These two parallel studies in Hamburg and" "London aim to provide an insight into the different ways in which young people with and without a migrant background live their everyday lives together. The book demonstrates how friendships,... more
"These two parallel studies in Hamburg and"
"London aim to provide an insight into the different ways in which young people with and without a migrant background live their everyday lives together. The book demonstrates how friendships, tensions, and sometimes adversities are negotiated. It shows how young people construct landscapes of risk and safety and how relations of ethnicity, class, and gender are lived differently in different socio-spatial contexts. In some situations young people develop enjoyable ways of living with differences, in others they live with tensions and conflicts. These may be experienced through notions of ethnicity, but sometimes through feelings of belonging to places and/or specific youth cultures which transcend ethnic differences more often than class differences."
"London aim to provide an insight into the different ways in which young people with and without a migrant background live their everyday lives together. The book demonstrates how friendships, tensions, and sometimes adversities are negotiated. It shows how young people construct landscapes of risk and safety and how relations of ethnicity, class, and gender are lived differently in different socio-spatial contexts. In some situations young people develop enjoyable ways of living with differences, in others they live with tensions and conflicts. These may be experienced through notions of ethnicity, but sometimes through feelings of belonging to places and/or specific youth cultures which transcend ethnic differences more often than class differences."
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Research Interests: Racism and Anti-Racism
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ABSTRACT:I analyse the changing conceptions of German national identity since the idea was first articulated after the French Revolution. I distinguish between universalist concepts of national belonging and particularist ones, specifying... more
ABSTRACT:I analyse the changing conceptions of German national identity since the idea was first articulated after the French Revolution. I distinguish between universalist concepts of national belonging and particularist ones, specifying at the same time their respective class ...
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This article presents and explores selected preliminary results of a joint research project1 currently in progress in Hamburg (Germany) and in London (England), respectively. In London, a total of 120 young people participated in the... more
This article presents and explores selected preliminary results of a joint research project1 currently in progress in Hamburg (Germany) and in London (England), respectively. In London, a total of 120 young people participated in the study and shared their experiences with our ...
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ub.umu.se. Publications. ...
Schwarze Feministinnen in Britannien und den USA führten den Begriff Rassismus in die femi-nistische Debatte ein (vgl. Davis 1983, hooks 1981, Carby 1982). Weiße Feministinnen verhiel-ten sich rassistisch, so argumentierten sie, insofern... more
Schwarze Feministinnen in Britannien und den USA führten den Begriff Rassismus in die femi-nistische Debatte ein (vgl. Davis 1983, hooks 1981, Carby 1982). Weiße Feministinnen verhiel-ten sich rassistisch, so argumentierten sie, insofern sie die Erfahrungen und ...
In West Germany the term 'racism' is not used where discrimination, exclusionary practices and racialisation of people of non-German ori-gin arc concerned. Instead, one speaks of... more
In West Germany the term 'racism' is not used where discrimination, exclusionary practices and racialisation of people of non-German ori-gin arc concerned. Instead, one speaks of 'Ausliindcl/eindlichkeit' - 'hmtilityariwt foreigners'. BVe fed it is necessary to analyw the ...
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These two parallel studies in Hamburg and London aim to provide an insight into the different ways in which young people with and without a migrant background live their everyday lives together. The book demonstrates how friendships,... more
These two parallel studies in Hamburg and London aim to provide an insight into the different ways in which young people with and without a migrant background live their everyday lives together. The book demonstrates how friendships, tensions, and sometimes adversities are negotiated. It shows how young people construct landscapes of risk and safety and how relations of ethnicity, class, and gender are lived differently in different socio-spatial contexts. In some situations young people develop enjoyable ways of living with ...
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This paper presents some ways in which young people of a migrant background in Sweden handle their marginalisation at a time of transition from school to higher education. The stories of two young men are discussed, who develop opposing... more
This paper presents some ways in which young people of a migrant background in Sweden handle their marginalisation at a time of transition from school to higher education. The stories of two young men are discussed, who develop opposing strategies to cope with the ...
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This text is a hybrid in the sense that it tries to learn from Sociology and Psychology, but also because it argues on two levels: it presents the life history of an activist in the Brazilian Peasant Women's Movement to demonstrate what... more
This text is a hybrid in the sense that it tries to learn from Sociology and Psychology, but also because it argues on two levels: it presents the life history of an activist in the Brazilian Peasant Women's Movement to demonstrate what can be learned from this particular story about the way in which people engage in changing their living conditions and are shaped by these conditions. At the same time, the life history is used instrumentally as a way to demonstrate the usage of two methods: a life-history approach as a method of collecting a specific kind of data and a discourse analysis as a method of analysing these data. Neither collecting life-histories nor discourse analyses are new in the social sciences. What is new is to introduce them as methods that can be useful as another way to understand how people change and engage in transformational practices.
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Our aim in this paper is to critically discuss a dominant conceptualisation of the individual that informs much of Psychology where it is being applied to behaviour change strategies. Theories and concepts such as the selfish gene, or the... more
Our aim in this paper is to critically discuss a dominant conceptualisation of the individual that informs much of Psychology where it is being applied to behaviour change strategies. Theories and concepts such as the selfish gene, or the tragedy of the commons, we argue, have underpinned much of this research. The underlying assumption of these particular theories is that individuals are independent monads, cut off from societal relations and act in their egocentric interest. We also discuss some of the most influential contributions of Critical Psychology and Environmental Sociology, which criticize such individualistic approaches, arguing that they do not go far enough in rethinking the concept of the individual as a sum of its social relations. The German version of Critical Psychology, Kritische Psychologie, we suggest, provides an alternative view of human beings, their actions and capabilities, which can serve as a starting point for thinking and acting differently to create transformative pro-environmental practices.
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Research Interests: Sociology and Humanities
Forestall dig att du ar en invandrare och ingen bryr sig : Radslor, hopp och unga manniskors strategier for intrade till arbetsmarknaden
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La République fédérale d'Allemagne s'enorgueillit de posséder le droit d'asile le plus libéral du monde. Pour Nora Räthzel, la vérité n'est pas aussi rose. Un historique de la remise en cause de ce droit et des arguments... more
La République fédérale d'Allemagne s'enorgueillit de posséder le droit d'asile le plus libéral du monde. Pour Nora Räthzel, la vérité n'est pas aussi rose. Un historique de la remise en cause de ce droit et des arguments avancés par ses détracteurs.
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Research Interests: Transformation, Umwelt, Politik, Organisation, Widerstand, and 6 moreArbeit, Individuum, Kirche, DDC, Frauenbewegung, and Kurswechsel
The first section of this chapter explains what is meant by the term ‘workers of migrant origin’. The second section gives an overview of the situation of migrant workers in the labour market and the third describes some of the forms of... more
The first section of this chapter explains what is meant by the term ‘workers of migrant origin’. The second section gives an overview of the situation of migrant workers in the labour market and the third describes some of the forms of discrimination that workers of migrant origin face in German enterprises. The last section summarises results from a pilot study that was undertaken in Hamburg by the author and Ulku Sarica.
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Die Bedeutung von "Rasse" und Rassismus fur die Konstruktion des modernen Nationalstaates oder : Doppelcharakter der Naturalisierung des Sozialen
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This paper presents results of a project aimed at investigating the ways in which trade unions in the “Global North” and the “Global South” respond to the dual challenge of a globalising work division and globalising environmental... more
This paper presents results of a project aimed at investigating the ways in which trade unions in the “Global North” and the “Global South” respond to the dual challenge of a globalising work division and globalising environmental degradation, and whether and under what conditions trade unions perceive and address these issues as connected. While globalising corporations are forming new international relations of power, trade unions are lagging behind in unifying their efforts to counter globalised environmental destruction.
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Part 1: Intoduction 1. Mending the Breach between Labour and Nature: A Case for Environmental Labour Studies David Uzzell and Nora Rathzel Part 2: Trade Union Perspectives 2. Developing Global Environmental Union Policies through the ITUC... more
Part 1: Intoduction 1. Mending the Breach between Labour and Nature: A Case for Environmental Labour Studies David Uzzell and Nora Rathzel Part 2: Trade Union Perspectives 2. Developing Global Environmental Union Policies through the ITUC Anabella Rosemberg 3. Making the Environment a Trade Union Issue Laura Martin Murillo 4. International Labour Organization and the Environment - The Way to a Socially Just Transition for Workers Lene Olsen and Dorit Kemter 5. Food Workers' Rights as a Path to a Low-Carbon Agriculture Peter Rossman 6. Moving Towards Eco-Unionism: Reflecting the Spanish Experience Begona Maria-Tome Gil 7. Cars, Crisis, Climate Change and Class Struggle Lars Henriksson Part 3: Analyses of Trade Union Environmental Policies across the Globe 8. The Neo-liberal Global Economy & Nature: Re-defining the Trade Union Role Jacklyn Cock and Rob Lambert 9. Sustainable Development or Environmental Justice? Questions for Trade Unions on Land, Livelihoods and Jobs Andrew Bennie 10. Climate Change, Trade Unions and Rural Workers in Labour-Environmental Alliances in the Amazon Rainforest Joao Paulo Candia Veiga, Scott B. Martin 11. From 'Jobs Versus Environment' to 'Green-Collar Jobs': Australian Trade Unions and the Climate Change Debate Verity Burgmann 12. Just Transition and Labour Environmentalism in Australia Darryn Snell and Peter Fairbrother 13. Will they Tie the Knot? Labour and Environmental Trajectories in Taiwan and South Korea Hwa-Jen Liu 14. Green Jobs? Good Jobs? Just Jobs? USA Labour Unions Confront Climate Change Dimitris Stevis 15. U.S. Trade Unions and the Challenge of "Extreme Energy" The Case of the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline Sean Sweeney 16. From Blue to Green: A Comparative Study of Blue-Collar Unions' Reactions to the Climate Change Threat in the United States and Sweden Meg Gingrich 17. Trade Unions and the Transition from 'Actually Existing Unsustainability': from Economic Crisis to a New Political Economy beyond Growth John Barry 18. Local Place and Global Space: Solidarity across Borders and the Question of the Environment David Uzzell and Nora Rathzel
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The emphasis by governments - in both research and policies - on arresting climate change and encouraging sustainable consumption has largely focussed on individual consumers who are seen to be responsible for the insatiable growth in... more
The emphasis by governments - in both research and policies - on arresting climate change and encouraging sustainable consumption has largely focussed on individual consumers who are seen to be responsible for the insatiable growth in demand for carbon generating consumer goods and services. In contrast to producers (e.g., individual companies to global corporations), consumers are fragmented and disorganised as a group; there is no consumer voice to counter the power of corporations that drive rather than respond to the market. Consumer associations are usually interested only in the quality, prices and variety of goods, not their sustainability. Trade union members are one collectivity that are consumers, but also part of the production process. They are highly organised, have a local, national and international presence, are integrated into the social fabric of societies and may be the only collectivity that have the resources and power to challenge corporations. This paper will report on interviews with senior trade union officials at national and international levels concerning their policies in respect of working conditions and environmental issues in the context of globalisation where corporations relocate work to the countries of the South because they can profit from lower wages, poorer working conditions and unregulated environmental degradation.
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Despite the impact of climate change on the production process and thus on work, research in this area is scarce. While technological solutions are investigated and there is ample literature on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), trade... more
Despite the impact of climate change on the production process and thus on work, research in this area is scarce. While technological solutions are investigated and there is ample literature on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), trade unions, one of the principal social actors in the production process, have been largely ignored (But see, Labour Studies Journal 2011). If they are addressed, they are represented as standing in the way of climate change measures. While they might have been slow in placing climate change their agenda, environmental movements have been slow in recognising the legitimacy of workers’ interests in defending their jobs.
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Silvio in Mexico expresses the dual position of the wage-labourer and producer: The buses are good and the work itself is interesting. The problem is that they do not recognize our work well. There is no recognition. There are different... more
Silvio in Mexico expresses the dual position of the wage-labourer and producer: The buses are good and the work itself is interesting. The problem is that they do not recognize our work well. There is no recognition. There are different wage groups, C, A, AA, AAA, and they give the best salaries to their friends. (Silvio)
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In the past, environmental movements and labour movements have seen each other as opponents. Where labour movements have taken an interest in nature it has been in the early movements as a space of recreation, later as a necessary... more
In the past, environmental movements and labour movements have seen each other as opponents. Where labour movements have taken an interest in nature it has been in the early movements as a space of recreation, later as a necessary condition for a healthy life. In both cases nature has been constructed as “the Other” of labour. The same can be said for environmental movements, which have aimed to defend, often conserve nature “against labour”. This opposition has been mirrored in the academic field in as much that environmental studies have not taken any account of labour, whereas labour studies have largely ignored the environment. The authors argue that these oppositions are started to being tackled within the respective movements and within academic research as well. As the contributions in this volume demonstrate, there is a need for a new area of research: environmental labour studies.
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We have discussed several ways in which workers feel connected to their work and develop what we defined as producer’s pride: being proud to contribute to a useful product, enjoying teaching others, advancing from working on the line to a... more
We have discussed several ways in which workers feel connected to their work and develop what we defined as producer’s pride: being proud to contribute to a useful product, enjoying teaching others, advancing from working on the line to a position of teacher, enjoying unpredictable variation, being able to exert influence on the production process, enjoying horizontal cooperation, learning new things. The other side in which we saw producer’s pride at work, was in workers’ boredom and dissatisfaction where their work was not challenging. Women and men experienced their work similarly. There was one aspect though, exclusively narrated by women, which was their experience of doing ‘a man’s job’ in a context where their workmates were predominantly men. In all the four factories we visited women in production were the exception. In the case of India, only one woman was working in production and even the administration was staffed only by men. In Mexico and in Sweden management had an explicit policy to increase the number of women on the floor. In the following we discuss the ways in which women talked about doing ‘a man’s job’. In contrast to Chapter 6, where we discuss doing a man’s job in the context of gender relations in the plant, the following chapter focuses on women’s relation to their work content.
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... Herausgeber, Madrid - Pirámide. Mitarbeiter, García Mira, Ricardo, Vega Marcote, Pedro. Archiv, REDINED: Network of information databases on education: research, innovation, resources and magazines of education. (Spain). Typ,... more
... Herausgeber, Madrid - Pirámide. Mitarbeiter, García Mira, Ricardo, Vega Marcote, Pedro. Archiv, REDINED: Network of information databases on education: research, innovation, resources and magazines of education. (Spain). Typ, Manuales. Sprache, español. ...
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Our aim in this paper is to critically discuss a dominant conceptualisation of the individual that informs much of Psychology where it is being applied to behaviour change strategies. Theories and ...