A Metaphorical Analysis of Modern Slavery Disclosures: A Study of Global Retailers’ Cotton Supply Chain

This paper provides a metaphor-based critical analysis of corporate disclosures on modern slavery. Drawing on literature on discursive legitimation and manipulation, we conducted a Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA) of modern slavery reports by major global retailers based in core nations (UK and US) that source cotton products from periphery nations. By examining metaphors produced in retailers’ modern slavery reports and counter-metaphors mobilized by anti-slavery Social Movement Organisations (SMOs), we find that the central part of corporate legitimation takes place through metaphors aligning to the strategies of discursive manipulation (i.e., misleading theoretical rationalization, moral polarization, nominalisation and mystification strategy, silence). Metaphorical language used emphasize the heroic role of retailers in curbing modern slavery whereby they overlook structural reasons behind the problem. As a form of resistance and delegitimising efforts, SMOs mobilized counter-metaphors that highlights retailers’ discursive practices and the structural reasons behind modern slavery. The study concludes that metaphorical language used in corporate reports on modern slavery resembles a form of manipulative hegemonic discourse as it is about legitimising and maintaining the status quo.