Assignment: Ethnography of the Corporation
One important actor in modem industrial states are multinational corporations. In this assignment we will conduct an "ethnography" of the corporation. In order to do this you will watch the documentary titled 'The Corporation" (by Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan) available free on YouTube 23 episodes) .
Be aware that this film is provocative and represents the views of the filmmakers and the people they interviewed. Our job is to assess the whether the claims being made are relevant to understand modern corporations. That being said, to assess the validity of the film's claims it is important for you to form your own opinions. However, the purpose of this class is to teach you to make sure you form opinions that are informed, which means looking at both sides of the argument. Therefore it is important that you be open-minded to any comments made in the movie.
Your task is to write a short essay (2 to 3 pages) answering the questions below as guides.
The discussion questions listed below are provided to assist you in your understanding of how this film "fits in" with anthropology. You don't have to strictly answer all questions, but at least enough to make a good argument. I suggest you follow the film intently and take good notes using your answers to these questions as your framework.
Consider the following questions:
1. What is a corporation?
2. What are the rights of a "legal person?"
3. How is a legal person different from a natural person?
4. How much discretion does a CEO have to impose her/his values on a corporation? On what might this depend?
5. Do you think it is only a few CEOs that are "bad apples" or are unethical CEOs the norm?
6. Discuss the trade-off between wealth creation and social harm? Which is more important?
7. Are corporations unfairly labelled?
8. What caused the change in the powers/characteristics of the corporation?
9. How does the 14th amendment to the US constitution relate to the rights of the corporation?
10. Is there such a thing as "too much" profit?
11. What are externalities? How do they relate to the corporation?
12. Do you "buy" the argument that low cost labour can or should be a national comparative advantage? is low wage better than no wage?
13. Is the efficiency created by the privatization of public goods worth the potential loss of their provision?
14. Should firms be allowed to market to children?
15. What is "undercover marketing?" Does this really happen? Provide some potential examples.
16. Can you/should you be able to patent anything?
17. Should corporations be liable for individuals' actions involving their products?