Ethical Gold & Government Policy: A Research Partnership between The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust and the Royal College of Art
Ethical Gold & Government Policy: A Research Partnership between the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust and the Royal College of Art
The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust has partnered with The Royal College of Art on an exciting new piece of research investigating how ethical gold certification schemes and jewellery and watch industry initiatives interact with government policies in Scotland, the UK, and the EU. The project, Ethical Gold in Government Policy, is being led by Dr Peter Oakley, Reader in Material Culture at the RCA and the project researcher is the SGT Ethical Programme Officer, Emily MacDonald.
This partnership builds on previous collaborations with the RCA including symposiums; It’s in Our Hands (organised by the SGT in Edinburgh, 2017), Fair Luxury at the RCA (organised by the RCA in London, 2018), and It’s in Our Hands – One Year On (organised by the SGT in Edinburgh, 2018). The SGT has also been lucky to have Dr Oakley as an advisor for the development of the Ethical Making Resource as well as other projects. We look forward to continuing this relationship with Dr Oakley and with the RCA.
About the Research
The research project will:
Uncover how ethical gold sourcing certification programmes and jewellery industry association interventions influence, and have been influenced by, policy development at Westminster, Holyrood and Brussels.
Consider the roles of corporations, industry associations, pressure groups, activists and campaigners in this process.
Identify productive options for engagement with political systems and structures around the issue through academic and suitable advocacy activities.
The result of this research will be drafts of three reports on the interactions between ethical gold and government policy, each focusing on a different type government: a devolved national government, a sovereign national government, and a supranational government. These reports will be shared on the RCA Repository and the Ethical Making Resource.
The project outputs will also include engagement events where the project’s findings will be presented.
About the Research Team
Dr Peter Oakley specialises in research focusing on materials, making, manufacturing, luxury goods and artworks.
Peter has undertaken research on the fine jewellery and luxury watch industries and their supply chains for the past thirteen years. His interests range from gaining an understanding of how the sector as a whole operates as a diverse but interlocking professional community, to examining specific phenomena linked to its distinctive material culture.
Peter is currently leading three research projects: Sustainable Materials in the Creative Industries (SMICI); Ethical Gold & Government Policy (EG+GP), and Thai Textiles. He is also leading the UK contribution to 4Cs: From Conflict to Conviviality through Creativity and Culture, a Creative Europe transnational cooperation project.
View Peter’s full profile here.
‘The research will allow us to track how ethical gold has become an increasingly powerful idea over the past decade, as well as helping to explain to politicians its relevance to existing and future policy initiatives.’
Dr Peter Oakley, Principal Investigator, Ethical Gold & Government Policy
Emily MacDonald, the project’s researcher, is the Ethical Programme Officer at the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust in Edinburgh and was instrumental in the creation of the SGT Ethical Making Resource and initiating the Ethical Making Pledge with Scottish art colleges. Emily’s background is in social and environmental sciences, with a BA in Anthropology and Sociology and a MSc in Climate Change and Marine Management. Emily has contributed to circular economy research and advocacy in Scotland and is passionate about sustainability, education, and exploring craft cultures.
Emily can be reached at: emily@scottishgoldsmithstrust.org.
‘I am thrilled to be part of this research. It is an excellent opportunity to understand how policy in Scotland, the UK, and the EU interacts with ethical sourcing and sustainability. I hope it will convince government stakeholders of the importance of greater transparency in creative supply chains.’
Emily MacDonald, Researcher, Ethical Gold & Government Policy
For more information about this project visit the RCA research project page.
This research has been funded by the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund.
