Corporate social activism: how boycotts are decided and communicated democratically in a cooperative? A case of the study of the Park Slope Food Coop from 1973 to 1987.

Abstract

Nowadays, enterprises are more than ever getting boycotted for numerous reasons by consumers, but corporation are also increasingly taking part in these boycotts claiming more publicly their political stand. This can be a risk when the values they proclaim are not aligned with their actions. Also, certain subjects of boycott tend to be more polarized than others. When it comes to cooperatives, boycotts can even be more present because they are more prone to seek social justice compared to traditional businesses. Therefore, this thesis examines the making decisions process of a cooperative, analyzing the shift to institutionalization from a direct and informal organization. We specifically focused on how boycotts were decided, throughout the years using the internal newsletter of the Park Slope Food Coop.