Accounting for human rights: Doxic health and safety practices - the accounting lessons from ICL

Christine Cooper, A.B. Coulson, Philip Taylor

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

This paper is concerned with a specific human right – the right to work in a safe environment. It sets out a case for developing a new form of account of health and safety in any organisational setting. It draws upon the theoretical insights of Pierre Bourdieu taking inspiration from his assertion that in order to understand the “logic” of the worlds we live in we need to immerse ourselves into the particularity of an empirical reality. In this case the paper, analyses a preventable industrial disaster which occurred in Glasgow, Scotland which killed nine people1 and injured 33 others. The paper unearths the underlying structures of symbolic violence of the UK State, the Health and Safety Executive and capital with respect to health and safety at work in the case. While dealing with one specific country (Scotland) and arguably an anomalous event we contend that Bourdieu’s objective of constructing a special case of what is possible can equally be used to question health and safety regimes and other forms of symbolic violence across the globe.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 7 Jul 2010
EventSixth Asia Pacific Interdisciplinary Research in Accounting Conference - Sudney, Australia
Duration: 12 Jul 201013 Jul 2010
http://apira2010.econ.usyd.edu.au/

Conference

ConferenceSixth Asia Pacific Interdisciplinary Research in Accounting Conference
Abbreviated titleAPIRA2010
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CitySudney
Period12/07/1013/07/10
Internet address

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • human rights
  • health and safety
  • occupational accidents
  • ICL

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Accounting for human rights: Doxic health and safety practices - the accounting lessons from ICL'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this