What is a Boycott?

A boycott is a powerful tool used to bring about social change — it is a powerful form of peaceful protest designed to draw attention to an issue and ultimately change or influence a person or organization’s actions or beliefs. Boycotts are typically used to advocate for a particular policy, bring attention to an issue, or push an organization to adopt a certain viewpoint. To boycott something is to refuse to associate with it, use it, or buy it — the aim being to send a message and create an economic, social, or political impact.

History of Boycotts

The term ‘boycott’ is widely recognized but its background is lesser known. In 1880, the Land League was established in Ireland with the mission of helping impoverished tenant farmers secure better rights in their dealings with absentee landlords. One key tactic of the group was to advocate for peaceful boycotts of those landlords who did not abide by the newly-established terms. The leader of the league, Irish nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell, coined the term ‘boycott’ from the name of the leader’s of the campaign.

Indeed, the incident that spawned the term boycott involved Captain Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland who was targeted by the land league due to his mistreatment of tenant farmers in 1880. The protests and boycotts were peaceful, but were effective nonetheless: Captain Boycott was socially ostracized and his business suffered greatly — so much so that the phrase ‘boycott’ has become synonymous with peaceful protests of all kinds.

Examples of Boycotts

One of the most famous boycotts of recent memory was that launched against the music-streaming service Spotify by the musician Taylor Swift. She accused the company of undervaluing her work and the work of other musicians, and drew attention to the larger issue of unfair payments to musicians. Her boycotting of Spotify culminated in the company making changes to its policies regarding payments for musicians.

Another noteworthy boycott occurred in 2018 when the National Basketball Association (NBA) moved to take action against a number of Chinese companies who had ties to brutal human rights abuses in China. This move came in response to criticism that the NBA had been slow to respond to the human rights abuses occurring in the region.

In more recent years, the #MeToo movement has served to bring attention to the issues of sexual harassment and assault. Following the public disclosure of decades of abuse by powerful men, many women and their allies launched boycotts against some of those individuals and their companies.

In short, boycotts can be an effective way to bring attention to important social and political issues and to pressure people and organizations to adopt more ethical practices. As more and more people become aware of the impact that boycotting can have, it can create long-lasting, meaningful change.