Business and Society [2008-2010]

About

Theme 2008/09: “The Moral Economy?”

The Cambridge Business and Society Research Group aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for researchers investigating the cultures of capitalism and the social and ethical dimensions of organizations, business, and economics.

The increasing spread of market logics into social life has heightened the importance of the University in investigating the knowledge-practices, legal forms, historical trajectories, contestations, and impacts involved. Pressing challenges such as climate change, ongoing inequalities within and between nations, and the role of corporations within democratic polities, have made paradigms, concepts, and methods from the humanities and the social sciences of increasing relevance for studying the interactions between the commercial, political, and civil spheres. The rising material aspirations of citizens worldwide, the currently unfolding global credit crisis, inflating commodity and food prices, and the urgency of addressing the environmental footprint of “developed” country consumption patterns, has put a new focus on bringing areas which usually remain within the traditional domain of business studies and economics, into fruitful dialogue with the wider humanities, sciences, and social sciences. In order to facilitate disciplinary innovation in dealing with these issues the group will offer a venue for researchers from across Cambridge University to meet regularly, exchange views and present and discuss aspects of their work. 

Academic year 2008/09, questions around the theme “The Moral Economy?”

Format for Sessions
Activities
Research meetings 

 

Theme 2009-10: Worth, Value and Valuation

The Cambridge Business and Society Research Group aims to provide an interdisciplinary forum for researchers investigating the cultures of capitalism and the social and ethical dimensions of organizations, business, and economics.

The increasing spread of market logics into social life has heightened the importance of the University in investigating the knowledge-practices, legal forms, historical trajectories, contestations, and impacts involved. Pressing challenges such as climate change, ongoing inequalities within and between nations, and the role of corporations within democratic polities, have made paradigms, concepts, and methods from the humanities and the social sciences of increasing relevance for studying the interactions between the commercial, political, and civil spheres. The rising material aspirations of citizens worldwide, the currently unfolding global credit crisis, inflating commodity and food prices, and the urgency of addressing the environmental footprint of “developed” country consumption patterns, has put a new focus on bringing areas which usually remain within the traditional domain of business studies and economics, into fruitful dialogue with the wider humanities, sciences, and social sciences. In order to facilitate disciplinary innovation in dealing with these issues the group will offer a venue for researchers from across Cambridge University to meet regularly, exchange views and present and discuss aspects of their work. 

Academic year 2009/10, questions around the theme “Worth, Value and Valuation”

Research meetings

We hold regular research meetings at CRASSH alternate  Wednesdays in term (2.30-4.30pm). These meetings aim at exploring questions around this year's theme “Worth, Value and Valuation” from different theoretical and disciplinary perspectives. In each session, one or two researchers make short (15 min) presentations relating to their research and the theme of the meeting. To allow for in-depth exploration of theoretical and empirical questions, we will hold both theory and topic focused meetings.  
 

One-Day workshops

One-Day workshops provide an extended forum to continue the debates from the meetings and put these debates into the context of a topical research question. Following the interdisciplinary mission of CRASSH, they also invite new participants from different disciplines as well as practitioners.