A proposal for Socially Responsible Companies -Instead of Inc., why not SRC?

Submitted by Jonathan Hendler on July 28, 2006 - 8:48am.

Recently, I finally saw the movie "The Corporation" [ 1]. After seeing enough movies critical of modern life to not get too depressed, the movie did leave me with a somewhat balanced combination of fear and disgust. However, I realized there must be a way to improve on things. Yes. I am an optimist [2].

When I first studied sociology I learned that social structures can take people and make them into who they are. A prisoner and a prison guard [3] were normal people created by experience is one of the best known examples of institutions creating kinds of people. In relation to the movie, a central theme was that because corporations are legally considered human beings with all the same rights as flesh and bone human beings, and because corporate laws require profit, expansion, and self preservation, corporations [and therefore people] behave in a psychotic manner.

Working with CivicActions and open source software provides a model for an alternative. I feel like I am working with a healthy non-profit, but CA is a for-profit institution not bound by the constraints of a 501(c)3. I realized that CivicActions has it's own progressive by-laws, it's own business model. Why not create a GNU / Creative Commons licensed legal entity, which is superior to "the Corporation", known as an SRC (Socially Responsible Company).

An SRC as an official legal designation would be important because I realized that internal corporate by-laws aren't really peer-reviewed or externally enforced. If a company wants the label of SRC then you must be certified by certain guidelines, like the "organic" designation of food. An official and public designation makes it possible for companies to be held accountable for the claim that they are "socially responsible". I think we'd do pretty well here at CivicActions. :)

Perhaps some one from the company would like to comment? (and yes, it could be a Drupal module)

[1] - http://www.thecorporation.com
[2] - out of practicality, because the alternative is depressing
[3] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment