Corporate Interest and Trade Liberalization: The North American Free Trade Agreement and Environmental Protection
Author(s)
Grossman, Perry
Abstract
Corporate rhetoric regarding the inclusion of environmental issues in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are examined. A greater understanding of corporate pressure on regulatory measures is provided by indicating how corporate actions change in relation to social movement and state actions. A cultural political economy perspective is developed to show how issues are not fixed but are shaped by power relations and ongoing meaning construction. Corporate rhetoric in the NAFTA debate does not fit neatly into prevailing theories of organized and political sociology. Instead, a political economy perspective that indicates a dynamic cultural process by which corporations attempt to ensure profit maximization under changing circumstances is suggested.
