Strategies of Narrative Disclosure in the Rhetoric of Anti-Corporate Campaigns." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2012
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Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Communication Dissertations Department of Communication Spring 3-20-2012 Strategies of Narrative Disclosure in the Rhetoric of Anti- Corporate Campaigns Richard A. Herder Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_diss Recommended Citation Herder, Richard A., "Strategies of Narrative Disclosure in the Rhetoric of Anti-Corporate Campaigns." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2012. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_diss/32 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Communication at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Communication Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STRATEGIES OF NARRATIVE DISCLOSURE IN THE RHETORIC OF ANTI-CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS by RICHARD ALEXANDER HERDER Under the Direction of Dr. Michael Bruner ABSTRACT In the years following World War II social activists learned to refine rhetorical techniques for gaining the attention of the new global mass media and developed anti-corporate campaigns to convince some of the world’s largest companies to concede to their demands. Despite these developments, rhetorical critics have tended to overlook anti-corporate campaigns as objects of study in their own right. One can account for the remarkable success of anti-corporate campaigns by understanding how activists have practiced prospective narrative disclosure, a calculated rhetorical wager that, through the public circulation of stories and texts disclosing problematic practices and answerable decision makers, activists can influence the policies and practices of prominent corporations. In support of this thesis, I provide case studies of two anti-corporate campaigns: the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union vs. J. P. Stevens (1976 – 1980) and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers vs. Taco Bell (2001—2005). Each campaign represents a typology of practice within prospective narrative disclosure: martial (instrumental emphasis) and confrontation/alliance (popular, constitutive emphasis) respectively. The former is more likely to spark defensive responses and public backlash, and the latter is more likely to sway entire market sectors and produce lasting changes in the de facto corporate social responsibility standards of global markets. INDEX WORDS: Rhetoric, Disclosure, Narrative, Storytelling, Kairos, Carnivalesque, Grotesque realism, Activism, Corporations, Anti-corporate campaign, Corporate campaign, J. P. Stevens, Taco Bell, Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, ACTWU, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, CIW, Slavery, Social movements STRATEGIES OF NARRATIVE DISCLOSURE IN THE RHETORIC OF ANTI-CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS by RICHARD ALEXANDER HERDER A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Georgia State University 2012 Copyright by Richard Alexander Herder 2012 STRATEGIES OF NARRATIVE DISCLOSURE IN THE RHETORIC OF ANTI-CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS by Richard Alexander Herder Committee Chair: Michael Bruner Committee: Mary Stuckey Greg Lisby David Boje David Cheshier Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University May 2012 iv DEDICATION To my wife Marsha, our three children and their spouses, our grandchildren, my parents, and friends who have gathered on “the porch” over the years. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of many people. I first want to thank my advisor Michael Bruner who shares my passion for human justice and, from the very first day I met him, has provided me with sage guidance. He is a phenomenal editor and one of the wisest and hardest working scholars I know. I also want to acknowledge the contributions of the other members of my dissertation committee. David Cheshier supported my decision to forgo studying high school forensics and focus instead on anti-corporate activism. Over the years he has provided me with wise counsel on writing, graduate studies, and life. Mary Stuckey took time out of her busy schedule to work with me on an independent study course where I explored my options for dissertation research. She is one of the most talented teachers I have ever known and has always understood when I needed time to sort out my ideas and when I needed to be nudged into action. Greg Lisby made me feel welcome at Georgia State, accepted me as a co-author, and graciously corrected my errant legal definitions. And, David Boje of New Mexico State University introduced me to the Standing Conference on Management Inquiry and encouraged me to give storytelling its due. Finally, I am grateful to Ray Rogers, who kindly agreed to an extended interview in New York City; Julia Perkins, who introduced me to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and patiently answered my questions, the staff of the Southern Labor Archives, who provided professional assistance with archival research, and my daughter Katherine Stewart, who convinced me to give the CIW a second look. vi Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... v Chapter 1: Anti-Corporate Campaigns and Corporate Power ................................................ 8 Overview of Chapters ............................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2: Rhetorics of Disappearance and Disclosure .......................................................... 22 Defining Prospective Narrative Disclosure .............................................................................. 26 Ancient Rhetoric and Contemporary Markets ...................................................................... 27 Basic Rhetorical Patterns in Anti-Corporate Campaigns...................................................... 32 Anti-Corporate Campaign Strategies ................................................................................ 33 Corporate Defense Strategies ............................................................................................ 39 Unpacking Prospective Narrative Disclosure ........................................................................... 47 Prospective Narrative Disclosure in Global Context ................................................................ 71 Chapter 3: Indicting Phantoms: Anti-Corporate Activism in Historic Context .................. 74 The Birth of the Corporation..................................................................................................... 76 The Marketplace as a New Field of Political Action ................................................................ 90 Reflecting on History .............................................................................................................. 114 Chapter 4: “Power on Power” Campaigning: ACTWU versus J. P. Stevens ..................... 118 The J. P. Stevens Campaign: A Brief History ........................................................................ 119 Public Backlash against the Stevens Campaign.................................................................. 132 Emulating the Stevens Campaign ....................................................................................... 137 Martial Strategies in the Stevens Campaign ........................................................................... 140 Rhetorical Disclosures in the Southern Textile Industry .................................................... 142 An Ambivalent Legacy ........................................................................................................... 179 Chapter 5: A Community of Witnesses: The CIW vs. Taco Bell ......................................... 184 The Taco Bell Campaign: A Brief History ............................................................................. 186 Rhetorical Disclosure in Commercial Agriculture ................................................................. 202 The Taco Bell Campaign and the Future of Markets .............................................................. 246 Chapter 6: Anti-Corporate Campaigns and Global Markets ............................................... 250 Kairotic Wagers and Corporate Responses ............................................................................. 250 Comparing Typologies............................................................................................................ 255 From Disclosure to Transformation ........................................................................................ 259 Works Cited ............................................................................................................................... 265 Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 296 Appendix A: A Listing of Anti-Corporate Campaigns ........................................................... 296 vii Appendix B: “Power on Power” Strategies ............................................................................ 315 Appendix C: Activist Resources ............................................................................................. 316 Appendix D: Stevens Campaign: Photographs and Pamphlets .............................................