{"id":25313,"date":"2025-06-26T11:22:44","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T11:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/followthethings.com\/?p=25313"},"modified":"2026-03-03T14:24:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T14:24:28","slug":"yes-its-small-but-thats-the-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/followthethings.com\/?p=25313","title":{"rendered":"Handbook: advice to filmmakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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FEATURED EXAMPLES<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Blood, sweat & takeaways
Girl model
UDITA
Mangetout<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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INGREDIENTS<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

INTENTIONS<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Improve pay & conditions
Show capitalist evils
Change citizen behaviour<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TACTICS<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Tell the truth
Have a theory of change
Humanise workers
Encourage empathy
Encourage feminist solidarities
Find a character
Include suffering kids
Spend some time
Workers take the mic!
Bring managers into view
Hold ’em accountable
Blame, shame & guilt
Encourage a boycott
Place things carefully
Make a website
Stage a Q&A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RESPONSES<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I know how they feel
This is so sad
Capitalism is sh*t
Wow \ud83d\udca5 WTF?
I’m so angry
Oh shut up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMPACTS<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Now we’re talking
Activism is inspired
Activists are recruited
Corporations change
Workers’ pay & conditions improve<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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“Yes, it\u2019s small. But that\u2019s the point<\/strong>“ <\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
By Sophie Burden<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

IN BRIEF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student Sophie Burden has taken the ‘Geographies of material culture’ module at the University of Exeter. She’s been watching trade justice documentaries, analysing the comments on their followthethings.com pages, and making sense of them using a draft copy of ‘The followthethings.com handbook for trade justice activism’. She knows a thing or two about how trade justice documentaries work and what they can do. She’s been asked to imagine meeting a filmmaker who’s planning a new trade justice documentary. What advice could she give? Empathy is your best friend, but don’t get sloppy. Blame the right thing. And play the long game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More about this page.<\/summary>\n

We are slowly piecing together a followthethings.com handbook for trade justice activism<\/em> and are publishing draft pages here as we write them. This is an ‘advice’ page. The main text is an example of student work from the ‘Geographies of material culture’ module which followthethings.com CEO Ian ran at the University of Exeter in the 2024-25 academic year. Students watched 8 films, and read their pages on followthethings.com (with the expeption of an unfinished film called The ginger trail<\/em>). They were asked to pair the comments brought together on each of the films’ followthethings.com pages with the appropriate ingredients phrases (naming their intentions, tactics, responses and impacts – show in bold below) being drafted for the Handbook<\/em>. Using these phrases as a pattern language (see FAQs), students were tasked to work out how specific intentions (e.g. improve workers’ pay & conditions<\/strong>) needed specific tactics (e.g. flip the script<\/strong>) to generate different kinds of responses (e.g. this is disgusting<\/strong>), which could generate different kinds of impacts (e.g. audiences are empowered<\/strong>). [NB pages about each of these ingredients are coming soon] At the end of the module, students were asked to imagine that they had met someone who was about to make their first trade justice documentary. Drawing on what they had learned in the module, what advice could they give them on how to make it effective?<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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So, you want to make a trade justice documentary that really makes a di\ufb00erence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great idea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let\u2019s get one thing straight: e\ufb00ective<\/em> doesn\u2019t just mean making your audience cry into their \u00a35 Primark hoodie. That\u2019s easy. The hard<\/em> bit? Sparking activism that actually changes things<\/em>. You\u2019ve got to wade into global trade\u2019s murky world and make a dent, however small, to improve pay and<\/strong> conditions<\/strong> for the workers who keep it running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the heart of trade justice activism. It targets the deep unfairness baked into international trade – the fact that 85% of the world hustles to keep a privileged few comfy (Campbell Stephens, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s about telling the truth<\/strong>: exposing how the global economy puts corporate profit over human rights and workers\u2019 dignity (Hadiprayitno & Ba\u011fatur, 2022, Miller, 2001). And asking: who\u2019s really winning here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler: it\u2019s not the workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal? Democratise trade governance – fairness, sustainability, accountability. Your film can\u2019t just show su\ufb00ering; it\u2019s got to hit harder. Rip back the curtain on capitalist evils<\/strong> and spark reflection that changes citizen behaviour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And how do you get there? Enter your \u2728 theory of change<\/strong>\u2728 . Duncombe (2023) calls it the Artistic Activism model<\/em>: real change happens when activism blends emotion, ideas, and action. A great trade justice documentary makes us feel (empathy, anger), think (about justice, fairness, solidarity), and do (push for change).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how you make that happen\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empathy is your best friend – but don\u2019t get sloppy<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t just want audiences to witness<\/em> su\ufb00ering – you want them to feel it.<\/em> That\u2019s when you get under their skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empathy is the magic sauce. \u201cA pathway to audience engagement\u201d (Nash & Corner, 2016). But fragile. Your mission? Make people care<\/em>, not just pity. As Krznaric (2007) puts it, true empathy is an imaginative leap into someone else\u2019s world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if all you spark is tears and a shrug, you\u2019ve missed your moment. Empathy without direction? Dead end. Turn that feeling into something stronger: encourage [feminist] solidarities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how? First tactic: find a character<\/strong>. Or a few!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canning & Reinsborough (2012) spell it out – personal stories are what hook people in and encourage empathy<\/strong>. N\u00e5ls (2018) adds: we need full human backstories, not snapshots. Dreams, struggles, strength. Faces, not faceless crowds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said – choose your characters wisely! Cough, Cough\u2026..Blood, Sweat and Takeaways<\/em>. Six Brits dropped into Southeast Asian factories to \u201clift the veil on voiceless workers\u201d (Rees, 2009 in Clarke et al., 2025). But my standout memory of episode one: Olu, the bodybuilder, brawling in a tuna \ud83d\udc1f factory and smashing a window \ud83d\udca5 . Iconic.. for all the wrong reasons. And wow, did viewers have thoughts<\/em> t. \u201cIt was ruined by a fight\u201d <\/em>(Anon, 2009 in Clarke et al., 2025). \u201cOur great<\/em> nation couldn\u2019t have chosen worse ambassadors\u201d <\/em>(Whitelaw, 2009 in Clarke et al., 2025). Yeah. Not quite<\/em> the \u201ctakeaway\u201d they were going for. \ud83d\ude2c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshots from Blood, sweat & takeaways <\/em>(centre: from the fight between Olu & Manos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bonus tactic: include su\ufb00ering kids<\/strong>. Brutal but e\ufb00ective. Bruzzi (2018) and Aguiar et al. (2008) show nothing hits harder than childhood innocence wrecked by adult-made systems. That\u2019s emotional dynamite. \ud83d\udca3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then: spend some time<\/strong> with workers. Humanise<\/strong> them. That\u2019s how you swap sympathy for real empathy. Cook & Woodyer (2012) say good films \u201cre-attach\u201d workers to fetishised products, showing real people with struggles and strength. Slow it down, keep the footage raw (Cu\ufb00 et al., 2016). Show whole lives – not just snapshots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now, the gold-standard examples.\ud83c\udfc5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Girl Model<\/em>. Forget glitz – this film drags us into the dark side of (child!) modelling. Following Nadya, 13, tape-measured, plucked from Siberian, bye family, flown to Japan, wide-eyed and hopeful. What unfolds? Debt, loneliness, shattered dreams – and one deeply creeptastic scout. The camera lingers, v\u00e9rit\u00e9-style, as her world cracks. (Tactics \u2714 \u2714 \u2714 ). It worked. Viewers felt it. An \u201cUncomfortable, eerie\u2026.saddening\u201d film that \u201csticks with you\u201d (Almachar, 2012 in Hambly et al., 2025). \u201cI wanted to give Nadya a hug, because I felt her pain\u201d (DisturbedPixie, 2013, in Hambly et al., 2025). Bang – empathy landed. I know how they feel. <\/strong>\ud83d\ude0e<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshots from Girl Model (featuring Siberian child model Nadya Vall).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Blood, Sweat and Takeaways<\/em>? \ud83e\ude78 \ud83d\udca7 \ud83c\udf54 – Despite casting hiccups, it nailed key moments too. Six youngsters in factory grind, each with a backstory. Find some characters. <\/strong>Pick your Brit to feel with (Cu\ufb00 et al., 2016). And the win? We met the workers<\/em> – not props.. And the audience noticed. @myoldvhstapes (2022, in Clarke et al., 2025) summed it up: \u201cThe young woman\u2026.at the chicken plant spoke of her little son, her plans for his future, her need to make money for him.\u201d Brass (2007, in Clarke et al., 2025) nailed the takeaway: \u201cMigrants are portrayed as ordinary people, like us\u2026 same kind of hopes and fears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshots of British cast members in Blood, Sweat & takeaways empathising with their<\/em> Indonesian host at home in the city and visiting her son in the countryside.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And when empathy lands? The classic: This is so sad<\/strong>.<\/em> \u201cIt\u2019s really sad\u201d (CToppa, 2022, in Clarke et al., 2025). \u201cMade me sad\u201d (Season Bangla Drama, 2015, in Barker et al., 2025). People hook in and can\u2019t shake it<\/em> (Brown & Pickerill, 2009). Sadness sparks reflection (Kemp, 2025) – a win, but it’s only step one. As Chouliaraki (2010) warns, too much victimhood risks sliding into pity. We don\u2019t want grief tourists or white saviours (McLaren, 2019). We want viewers moved to stand with,<\/em> not just cry for, workers. Encourage empathy <\/strong>\ud83e\udd1dEncourage [feminist] solidarities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One solution? Workers take the mic<\/strong>. \ud83c\udfa4 Participatory filmmaking, as Roberts & Lunch (2015) explain, lets workers represent themselves – as agents, not victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter Udita<\/em>: the blueprint. Five years, no Western narrator, no saviours. Just Bangladeshi garment workers telling their own stories. Factory collapse, unimaginable loss, marches, unionising, fighting back. Raw. Unfiltered. Their pain, their determination – it was contagious. Henriksen (2015, in Barker et al., 2025) nails it: \u201cThere are no passive victims. Only men and women who fight for their rights.” \ud83d\udcaa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshots from UDITA <\/em>showing the Rana Plaza ruins & workers’ protests.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


So yes – encourage empathy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But keep your eyes on the prize: empathy opens the door; solidarity kicks it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blame the right thing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Right! We\u2019ve ru\ufb04ed some feathers now. Emotions are high, eyes are wide. But the real question: who\u2019s to blame for all this pain?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler: not the consumer. \u274c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve all seen the blame, shame and guilt<\/strong> tactic in action. The classic move: \u201cLook at your cheap T-shirt! Look what you\u2019ve done!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, the thinking is noble – let guilt spark change (Barnett & Land, 2007). But in practice? It flops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guilt paralyses, triggers defensiveness, and sends audiences straight to ‘oh shut up<\/strong>‘ mode (Sandlin & Milam, 2008; McLaren, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Blood, Sweat and Takeaways<\/em>. Guilt wasn\u2019t the goal – but when you show British supermarkets and reel o\ufb00 stats about how much tuna we guzzle? It hit a nerve. As Simon (2009, in Clarke et al., 2025) groaned: \u201cNow this programme wants to make me feel guilty about eating<\/em> tinned tuna – one of the few stress-free meal options I thought I had left.\u201d <\/em>Me? Smug vegetarian mode activated: popcorn out, blaming my fish-loving friends. Not my problem<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Totally missing the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message? Lost for me + Simon. Swapped for a dinner-time blame game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And guilt-tripping? Not just unhelpful – downright unfair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, you could<\/em> encourage<\/strong> viewers to boycott<\/strong> the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And resist endless marketing. And fight social pressure. And not shop like their friends. And spend more cash (but only on the right<\/em> brands). And spot greenwashing. And cross-check the supply chain. And decode labels. And dig into corporate reports. Perhaps a degree in ethical consumption just to be sure. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fair? Yeah \u2026 no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, filmmaker: drop the guilt. If your film makes me feel like the villain? I\u2019m out before the credits roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead. Pinpoint the villains and hold ’em accountable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where your documentary punches up. \u270a\ud83c\udffd<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re talking corporations, governments, whole supply chains – the big players cashing in while workers sweat it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your film\u2019s job? Expose hypocrisies, rip open empty promises, and hit em where it hurts: reputation. Corporations love their glossy ethics reports – but Wagner et al. (2020) are clear: when words clash with reality, trust collapses. Your audience needs to see those cracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expose. Humiliate. Shame. Them. (Bartley & Child, 2014). \ud83d\ude24 Mangetout<\/em> nailed it. A wild ride for a humble pea: zooming between smug Brits at dinner parties and Zimbabwean fields where workers sweat for pennies. The kicker? Tesco\u2019s buyer struts in like royalty, barking orders while workers beam – grateful for crumbs from the king\u2019s table. A clever tactic: bring a manager into view<\/strong> – a villain. And it landed: \u201cTesco became \u2018evil\u2019 for me \u2026 when I saw [this] BBC2 documentary back in 1997\u201d (Chapman 2010, in Cook et al 2025). Reputational damage delivered.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Screenshots from Mangetout,<\/em> including Tesco buyer Mark Dady.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t stop at brands. Zoom out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greedy supermarkets? A symptom. Capitalism = the disease \ud83d\udcb8 – the \u201cinequality-enhancing machine\u201d (Wright, 2015) that keeps the whole circus spinning. Mangetout<\/em> gives us a pea\u2019s-eye view of global capitalism – bosses, farmers, consumers, trapped in a rigged game. McLaren (2019) warns, if you stop at human sob-stories without digging into the structures <\/em>– you risk propping up the very hierarchies you set out to challenge. No pressure \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your real win: not fixing corporations overnight, but shifting how citizens see them – and the broken system behind them. Harder to trust, harder to excuse, harder to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You want anger.<\/em> \u2018I\u2019M SO ANGRY<\/strong>\u2019 \ud83d\ude21 . Not that useless guilt-ridden kind – something better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slow, collective, empathic anger (Coplan, 2011). (Wink wink: thank yourself for planting those solidarity seeds earlier.) One Udita<\/em> viewer nailed it: \u201cIt made me angry\u2026 United We Stand\u201d (Season Bangla Drama, 2015 in Barker et al., 2025). Righteous fire aimed at the real culprits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capitalism is sh*t.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s where Iris Young (2003) comes in clutch: it\u2019s not about guilt – it\u2019s political responsibility<\/em>. We\u2019re all tangled in this mess by everyday participation. Real change = Collective action. Pushing governments, corporations, the whole rigged game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s drop the tired \u201cconsumer blame\u201d narrative. Your audience? They\u2019re citizens, workers, voters, activists – with power way beyond their wallets (Hadiprayitno & Ba\u011fatur, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long game<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So, after all that righteous anger\u2026 change? It\u2019s not coming fast. Sorry. But don\u2019t lose hope. This is where the real magic kicks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadness fades. Anger cools. But conversations? They ripple.\ud83d\udca7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what turns a trade justice doc from a one-o\ufb00 gut punch into a long-haul political tool. Done right, these films slide into the cultural bloodstream – sparking awkward dinner-table debates, furious WhatsApps, late-night Googling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiny shifts that start tipping the scales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heim (2003) calls it slow activism: quiet, persistent, woven through everyday life. No megaphones, no instant wins – but sticky + powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Girl Model<\/em> has no neat resolution, but it haunted<\/em>. \u201cI watched this movie a week ago and I cannot for the life of me get it out of my head\u201d (Zippy, 2013 in Hambly et al., 2025). The dream: a film that gnaws and won\u2019t let go. Wow \ud83d\udca5 WTF?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turbo-charge those ripples! Nash & Corner (2016) say: stage Q&As<\/strong>, o\ufb00er follow-ups, create spaces where people don\u2019t just feel but figure out what\u2019s next. Place things carefully.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Blood, Sweat and Takeaways<\/em>. The BBC made a public web forum<\/strong>; viewers swapped tips, vented, planned. A \u201chub for people\u2026 discussing what we can do about it\u201d (Christie-Miller, 2010 in Clarke et al., 2025). Now we\u2019re taking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it\u2019s small. But that\u2019s the point. Ripples grow networks, cement injustices in public memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And sometimes? They spark real-world wins. Activism is inspired<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corporations <\/strong>can change. <\/strong>Mangetout<\/em> + advocacy groups helped push Tesco into the Ethical Trading Initiative. Activists <\/strong>can be recruited. <\/strong>Girl Model<\/em> saw one model-turned-activist pushing for legal reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activism comes in all shapes: unionising, voting, campaigning, piling on pressure. More points of attack, stronger the punch. As Young (2003) reminds us: we\u2019re all actors in this tangled system, each holding a sliver of responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal? Workers pay and conditions<\/strong> improve<\/strong>. But real change is slow, messy, and hard to pin down (LeBaron et al., 2022). No quick wins. Still, it beats flimsy \u201cimpact\u201d stickers corporations love to flash and bury (Evans, 2020; Bohyn, 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You won\u2019t topple capitalism with a camera. But you can expose its cracks, pressure corporations to clean up, and – crucially – nurture a culture that refuses to forget. Wright (2015) spells it out: can\u2019t topple it? Tame it (regulate). Escape it (build alternatives). Erode it (grow co-ops, unions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change is a marathon, not a sprint. Your film? One hell of a starting gun. \ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SOURCES<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Patricia Aguiar, Jorge Vala, Isabel Correia & Cicero Pereira (2008) Justice in our world & in that of others: belief in a just world & reactions to victims. Social Justice Research<\/em>, 21, 50-68.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theo Barker, Joe Collier, Annabel Baker, Lizzie Coppen & Henry Eve (2025) UDITA (ARISE).<\/em> (followthethings.com\/udita.shtml last accessed 2 May 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clive Barnett & David Land (2007) Geographies of generosity: beyond the \u2018moral turn\u2019. Geoforum<\/em> 38(6), 1065-1075.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tim Bartley & Curtis Child (2014) Shaming the corporation: the social production of targets & the anti-sweatshop movement. American sociological review<\/em> 79(4) 653\u2013679<\/p>\n\n\n\n

+26 sources<\/summary>\n

H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Bohyn (2025) Omnibus Or Not, Due Diligence Is a Must: Policy Breakdown. Better Cotton<\/em>, 31 March (https:\/\/bettercotton.org\/omnibus-or-not-due-diligence-is-a-must-policy-breakdown\/ last accessed 22 April 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gavin Brown & Jenny Pickerill (2009) Space for emotion in the spaces of activism. Emotion, Space<\/em> and Society<\/em> 2(1), 24-35<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stella Bruzzi (2018) From innocence to experience: the representation of children in four documentary films. Studies in documentary film<\/em> 12(3), 208\u2013224<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rosemary Campbell-Stephens (2021) Educational leadership & the Global Majority: decolonising narratives.<\/em> Springer Nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doyle Canning & Patrick Reinsborough (2012) Lead with sympathetic characters.<\/em> (https:\/\/beautifultrouble.org\/toolbox\/tool\/lead-with-sympathetic-characters last accessed 2 May 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilie Chouliaraki (2010) Post-humanitarianism: humanitarian communication beyond a politics of pity. International Journal of Cultural Studies<\/em>, 3(2), 107\u2013126.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harriet Clarke, Ben Thomson, Victoria Bartley, Katie Ibbetson-Price, Emma Christie-Miller & Harry Schofield (2025) Blood, Sweat & Takeaways.<\/em> (followthethings.com\/blood-sweat-takeaways.shtml last accessed 2 May 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Cook et al (2025) Mangetout.<\/em> (followthethings.com\/mange-tout.shtml last accessed 2 May 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ian Cook & Tara Woodyer (2012) Lives of things. in Eric Sheppard, Trevor Barnes & Jamie Peck (eds) The Wiley Blackwell companion to economic geography<\/em>. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 226-241<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amy Coplan (2011) Understanding empathy: its features & effects. in Amy Complan & Peter Goldie (eds.) Empathy: philosophical & psychological perspectives.<\/em> Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2-18<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin Cu\ufb00, Sarah Brown, Laura Taylor & Douglas Howat (2016) Empathy: a review of the concept. Emotion Review<\/em>, 8(2), 144-153.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stephen Duncombe (2023) A theory of change for artistic activism. The journal of aesthetics and art<\/em> criticism<\/em> 81(2), 260-268<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice Evans (2020) Overcoming the global despondency trap: strengthening corporate accountability in supply chains. Review of International Political Economy<\/em>, 27(3), 658-685<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adele Hambly, Elaine King, Andy Keogh, Camilla Renny-Smith, Ed Callow, Joe Thorogood & Vicky Alloy (2025) Girl Model: The Truth Behind The Glamour.<\/em> (followthethings.com\/girl-model.shtml last accessed 2 May 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irene Hadiprayitno and Sine Bagatur (2022) Trade Justice, Human Rights, and the Case of Palm Oil. in Elena V. Shabliy, Martha J. Crawford & Dmitry Kurochkin (eds) Energy Justice:<\/em> Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. <\/em>Cham: Palgrave MacMillan, 157-172<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wallace Heim (2003) Slow activism: homelands, love & the lightbulb. Sociological review<\/em> 51(2), 183-202<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deena Kemp (2025) Comparing disgust and sadness: examining the interaction of emotion & information in charity appeals. Journal of Social Marketing<\/em> (online early).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roman Krznaric (2007) Empathy and the Art of Living. <\/em>Oxford: Blackbird Collective<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genevieve LeBaron, Remi Edwards, Tom Hunt, Charline Semp\u00e9r\u00e9 & Penelope Kyritsis (2022) The ine\ufb00ectiveness of CSR: understanding garment company commitments to living wages in global supply chains. New Political Economy<\/em>, 27(1), 99-115.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margaret A. McLaren (2019) Global gender justice: human rights & political responsibility. Critical horizons<\/em> 20(2), 127-144<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Miller (2001) The poverty of morality. Journal of Consumer Culture<\/em>, 1(2), 225\u2013243.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan N\u00e5ls (2018) The di\ufb03culty of eliciting empathy in documentary. In Catalin Brylla & Mette Kramer (eds) Cognitive Theory and Documentary.<\/em> Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 135-148.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate Nash & John Corner (2016) Strategic impact documentary: contexts of production & social intervention. European journal of communication<\/em> 31(3), 227\u2013242<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony Roberts & Chris Lunch (2015) Participatory video. In Robin Mansell and Peng Hwa Ang (eds) The International Encyclopedia of Digital Communication and Society.<\/em> London: Wiley, 1-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tillman Wagner, Richard Lutz & Barton Weitz (2009) Corporate hypocrisy: Overcoming the threat of inconsistent corporate social responsibility perceptions. Journal of Marketing<\/em> 73(6), 77-91<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erik Olin Wright (2015) How to be an anticapitalist today. Jacobin<\/em>, 12 February<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Image credits<\/summary>\n

Conversation (https:\/\/thenounproject.com\/icon\/conversation-6769395\/<\/a>) by kliwir art from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blood, sweat & takeaways<\/em>: credit BBC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Girl model<\/em>: credit Carnivalesque Films<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UDITA<\/em>: credit Rainbow Collective<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mangetout<\/em>: credit BBC<\/p>\n\n\n\n




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SECTION: <\/strong>advice <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Written by Sophie Burden, edited by Ian Cook (first published June 2025)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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FEATURED EXAMPLES Blood, sweat & takeawaysGirl modelUDITAMangetout INGREDIENTS INTENTIONS Improve pay & conditionsShow capitalist evilsChange citizen behaviour TACTICS Tell the truthHave a theory of changeHumanise workersEncourage empathyEncourage feminist solidaritiesFind a characterInclude suffering kidsSpend some timeWorkers take the mic!Bring managers into viewHold ’em accountableBlame, shame & guiltEncourage a boycottPlace things carefullyMake a websiteStage a Q&A RESPONSES […]<\/p>\n

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