This book provides insight into the potential for the market to protect and improve labour standards and working conditions in global apparel supply chains. It examines the possibilities and limitations of market approaches to securing social compliance in global manufacturing industries. It does so by tracing the historic origins of social labelling both in trade union and consumer constituencies, considering industry and consumer perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks of social labelling, comparing efforts to develop and implement labelling initiatives in various countries, and locating social labelling within contemporary debates and controversies about the implications of globalization for workers worldwide. Scholars and students of globalisation, development, corporate social responsibility, human geography, labour and industrial relations, business ethics, consumer behaviour and fashion will find its contents of relevance.

Part 1: Introduction and Historical Overview 1. To Label or Not to Label: Is That the Question? Jennifer Bair, Marsha Dickson, and Doug Miller 2. Consumers and Producers: Agency, Power and Social Enfranchisement Robert J.S. Ross Part 2: Social Labels in a Comparative Perspective 3. Ethical Labelling in Sri Lanka: A Case Study of Garments without Guilt Annelies Goger 4. Is There a Business Case for Improving Labour Standards? Some Evidence from Better Factories in Cambodia Raymond Robertson, Debra Ang, Drusilla Brown and Rajeev Dehejia 5. The Impact of the "Fibre Citoyenne" Label on the Moroccan Garment Industry and Its Workers Arianna Rossi 6. From a No SweatShop Label to Ethical Clothing Australia: A Snapshot at Six Months Patricia Brien Part 3: Towards an Ethical Garment Trade: Industry and Consumer Perspectives 7. Identifying and Understanding Ethical Consumer Behaviour: Reflections on 15 years of Research Marsha A. Dickson 8. The Strength of Weak Commitments: Market Contexts and Ethical Consumption Ian Robinson, Rachel Meyer, and Howard Kimeldorf 9. Social Labelling on the Web: How Fashion Retailers Communicate Information about Labour Practices to Online Consumers Llyr Roberts 10. Motivations and Concerns for Public Reporting about Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance with Labour Standards: A Case Study of the Apparel Industry Theodora Pandelidis and Marsha A. Dickson Part 4: Contemporary Debates and Controversies 11. Providing Direct Economic Benefit to Workers through Fair Trade Labelling of Apparel the Fair Trade USA Apparel & Linens Pilot Project Heather Franzese 12. No Access to Justice: The Failure of Ethical Labelling Systems for Worker Rights Bama Athreya and Brian Campbell 13. Are Social Labels Symbols of Resistance?: A Case for Sweatshop-Free Procurement in the U.S. Public Sector Bjorn Claeson 14. Social Labelling and Supply Chain Reform: The Designated Supplier Program and the Alta Gracia Label Scott Nova and John M. Kline 15. Truth in Labelling: Towards a Genuine, Multi-Stakeholder Apparel Social Label System Eric Dirnbach