In this paper we discuss the process of adoption of practices of socially responsible business (in portuguese, Responsabilidade Social Empresarial, RSE) by metallurgical companies in Eastern Amazonia. We describe the strategies developed by companies to legitimate their performances regarding the criticism to the use of slave work in the production of vegetable coal. The results obtained show that, from the action of the social criticism an important portion of those companies was made to commit to the eradication of slave work in their productive chain, expressed by the constitution of the Instituto Carvão Cidadão (Institute of Coal Citizenry) and by the adoption of a self-certification process. According to our approach, the adoption of RSE practices in economical fields submitted to a strong social contestation should be understood with a process of social responsabilization, in which two aspects are prominent : the performance of the social criticism and the capacity of reaction of the companies, according to different capital endowments (financial, technological, symbolic) that each one of them disposes.
social action; social responsibility of the companies; slave work; metallurgical industry; Eastern Amazon
