So­ci­et­al Act­ors, Is­sues and Agen­das

Course content

This course examines business as a societal actor by focusing on how contemporary public issues emerge, evolve, and become contested in society. Rather than starting from the perspective of corporations and how they manage stakeholders, the course adopts a broader societal perspective, asking how different actors—such as governments, NGOs, citizens, media, and international institutions—engage with, challenge, and seek to shape the role and power of business in society. 

The course is organized around public issues understood as conflicts between actors with competing interpretations, interests, and agendas. These issues unfold in “issue fields” where multiple societal actors struggle to define what is at stake, who is responsible, and what constitutes legitimate solutions. Examples may include controversies related to climate transition, digital platforms, labor rights, or business involvement in political and social debates. 

Students will learn to analyze how such issues are constructed and contested in specific economic, political, and cultural contexts. The focus is on mapping the constellation of actors involved, their positions and agendas, the tensions between them, and the broader conditions that shape their capacity to influence outcomes. Particular attention is given to processes such as globalization, the shifting role of the state, and the increasing politicization of business activity. 

Across the course, we explore how business becomes entangled in societal and political struggles—not only as an economic actor, but as a participant in debates about rights, governance, legitimacy, and the organization of society. The aim is to develop a critical and analytically grounded understanding of how public issues involving business are formed, contested, and potentially transformed.