The introduction to this special issue of Current Anthropology calls for more anthropological attention to how the corporate form shapes and is shaped by daily life. It also traces anthropologists’ engagements with corporations over time. We present transformations in traditionally corporate arenas, such as mining and textile production, alongside parallel developments in transnational cooperatives, organic production systems, and ethnic deployments of the corporate form. We consider corporate influence in unexpected sectors, from conservation to poverty alleviation to cancer survival. Furthermore, we analyze corporate norms and practices in relation to broader governance trends, from fair-trade dynamics to shareholder activism and from corporate social responsibility initiatives to the spread of accountability measures and the impact of corporate sovereignty. This issue brings together the voices of anthropologists, social activists, NGO managers, corporate executives, financial planners, and entrepreneurs. It is the product of a 5-day international symposium held in August 2008 at the School for Advanced Research (SAR) campus in Santa Fe, sponsored by both SAR and the Wenner-Gren Foundation.
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