That the United States is competing with companies in countries that don't share our values, countries where the progress of women and minorities is not even on the agenda. That we're competing with countries so poor that they welcome a polluted sky as a sign of work. That rating companies strictly on social policy ignores companies whose shrewd economic policies create the wealth that makes it possible for us to choose between The Gap and Liz Claiborne. And that if groups with these values can create pressure on companies, then so can groups with other values, such as right-wing Christian groups. But the teenager as social agent also has more than buying power to bring to the table.
Any parent knows the joy of seeing the world anew through a child's eyes.
Maybe the chart does make a strange case for Fruit Loops. It meets your minimum daily social requirements. Alice Kahn is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Grades are based on information from the companies, public documents, and advisers who are experts in the categories. For a fuller explanation, see Students Shopping for a Better World.