What does it mean when consumers "shop with a conscience" and choose products labeled as fair or sustainable? Does this translate into meaningful changes in global production processes? To what extent are voluntary standards implemented and enforced, and can they really govern global industries? Looking behind the Label presents an informative introduction to global production and ethical consumption, tracing the links between consumers' choices and the practices of multinational producers and retailers. Case studies of several types of productswood and paper, food, apparel and footwear, and electronicsare used to reveal what lies behind voluntary rules and to critique predominant assumptions about ethical consumption as a form of political expression.

Tim Bartley is Associate Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University. He is co-editor of Regulation& Governance, an interdisciplinary, international journal focused on the past and present of industry regulation and the changing character of governance within and across countries.

Sebastian Koos is Assistant Professor of Corporate Social Responsibility, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Konstanz

Hiram Samel is Associate Professor of International Business, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Gustavo Setrini is Assistant Professor of Food Studies at New York University.

Nik Summers is a PhD candidate in Sociology at Indiana University.

AcknowledgmentsList of Commonly Used AcronymsIntroduction: Rules, Responsibilities, and Rights in the Global EconomyPart I: Making Sense of Conscientious Consumerism1. The Making of Conscientious Consumers: Individual and National Patterns2. Dilemmas of Conscientious ConsumerismPart II: Behind the Label: Global Production and the Meaning of Standards3. Wood and Paper Products: Searching for Sustainability4. Food: Global Agriculture and Local Development5. Apparel and Footwear: Standards for Sweatshops6. Electronics: The Hidden Costs of ComputingConclusion: Beyond Conscientious ConsumerismAppendixNotesReferencesIndex