ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF FAIR TRADE ON ECONOMIC & SOCIAL RIGHTS: EVIDENCE FROM INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL RESEARCH

Caroline Payne, Ph.D., Department of Political Science, Lycoming College
Alyssa Webb, Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut

 Thursday, March 27^th

12:30pm-2pm
Library Administrative Conference Room, Plaza Level*

Widely publicized to be a responsible and effective way for businesses to improve economic & social rights in developing countries, fair trade has flourished in recent years. Despite an increase in public awareness and consumption of fair trade products, its effectiveness remains untested. Using data from an original survey conducted in the Dominican Republic during the summer of 2012, along with personal interviews, we do just this. Despite the promises associated with fair trade, we find little evidence to support that it has improved economic and social rights for banana, cacao, and coffee workers.

A copy of the associated paper can be downloaded here: http://tinyurl.com/esrg327

 *Below is a link to a map of the library’s plaza level. The administrative conference room is in the area labeled “Administrative Services”. As you walk through that area, the room will be on your left. 

http://lgimages.s3.amazonaws.com/data/imagemanager/44206/plaza.jpg

 

Recent Publications of Chris Jeffords, ESRG Affiliate

Jeffords, Chris, "Constitutional Environmental Human Rights: A Descriptive Analysis of 142 National Constitutions," in The State of Economic and Social Human Rights: A Global Overview, Cambridge University Press, edited by Lanse Minkler, January, 2013.
Available T: http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item6937386/?site_locale=en_GB
An earlier version is also available at: http://www.christopherjeffords.com/Constitutions_Jeffords.pdf

Jeffords, Chris, "Preference-Directed Regulation When Ethical Environmental Policy Choices Are Formed With Limited Information," forthcoming in Empirical Economics. 
Available at: http://www.christopherjeffords.com/Information_Jeffords.pdf

Jeffords, Chris, and Farhed Shah, "On the Natural and Economic Difficulties to Fulfilling the Human Right to Water Within a Neoclassical Economics Framework," forthcoming in Review of Social Economy. 
Available at: http://www.christopherjeffords.com/Water_Jeffords.pdf

Jeffords, Chris, "Constitutional Environmental Human Rights in India: Negating a Negating Statement," Inclusive: A Journal of Kolkata Centre for Contemporary Studies, December, 2012.
Available at: http://theinclusive.org/constitutional-environmental-human-rights-in-india-negating-a-negating-statement
Also available at: http://www.christopherjeffords.com/IndiaCEHR_Jeffords.pdf

Jeffords, Chris, "The Constitutional Environmental Human Right to Water: An Economic Model of the Potential Negative Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Quantity and Quality in Pennsylvania," working paper, January 2013. 
Available at: http://www.christopherjeffords.com/HRtoH2OFracking_Jeffords.pdf

Worth What We Decide: A Defense of the Right to Leisure

ESRG Faculty Member David L. Richards and ESRG Faculty Affiliate Ben Carbonetti have published “Worth What We Decide: A Defense of the Right to Leisure” in the International Journal of Human Rights. The "OnlineFirst" e-version is out now and the print version comes out in January.

 

Abstract:

One of the most routinely philosophically and politically attacked sections of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is article 24: ‘Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.’ Defending against these attacks is important. For example, only the USA and Somalia, among UN member states, are not parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). One reason for the USA’s status is political opposition to CRC article 31, which maintains ‘States parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure. . ..’ Our article defends article 24 from well-known criticisms. We maintain rights are social constructs and, as evidence of social construction, we provide a genealogy of article 24. We also address the social psychology of rest/leisure and trends in actual state practice.