2. Global Social Movements Jiří Navrátil GLCb1001 Introduction to Global Challenges Intro •Global challenges vs. Global movements •What is a social movement? What is a global social movement? •Global challenges: … •How global movements relate to structural conflicts/challenges? •Indirect relation between structural conflicts and mobilizations/collective actors • > Society vs. Social movements •Socioeconomic structure affects the type of conflicts (cleavages … ) •Contemporary social movements often bearing post-materialist interests •Structural grievance not necessarily transformed into the protest •Key spheres of transfromation: economy, politics, culture • > Theories of global economic conflicts •Theory of world systems (Wallerstein) •Multitude (Hardt/Negri) •Theory of neoliberalism • •Examples of global economic conflict: • • • > Global political conflicts •IGOs and the spread of globalized norms •Political and corporate globalization •Global politics (level of coordination vs. target level): collective transnational, cooperative trasnational, rooted cosmopolitan, domesticated activism • •Examples of global political conflict: > Global cultural conflicts •Diffusion of ideas, practices, images, symbols (Zapatistas, Arab Spring, pro-Palestinian activism, pro-Ukranianian activism…) •Global counter-culture? •https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns • • •Examples of global cultural conflict: > Global Justice Movement •What's the name? • •Global Justice Movement, Anti- (Alter-)globalization movement, Anti-neoliberal Movement, Anti-corporate movement, Anti-capitalist movement, New Anarchism, Mouvement altermondialiste (Altermondialisme)… • •Different perspectives •Different histories •Different themes & currents within • •Movement of movements? • > Global Justice Movement: histories •Founding myth of Seattle (1999) – or just global „coming out“? • •Critique of structural programs of IMF and debt crisis of Third world since 1970´s (peak of protests between 1983 – 1985) •Zapatistas insurgence (since 1983, declaration of war to Mexican state in 1994) •Social riots in France (mid-90´s) – „Le retour de la question sociale“ • •Polanyi's double movement? •Second coming of 1968? (revitalization of various „new“ and old movements - feminists, environmentalists, students, unions) •Processes of transnationalization of „new“ social movements •Processes of convergence in the 90´s: new social movements > global justice issues (N. Klein) •Revival of traditional anti-capitalism (Marxism, anarchism) > Global Justice Movement: key themes of / main currents within • üTransnational corporations, international economic institutions, Neoliberalism • üWomen's rights, feminism • üEnvironment • üThird World development, indebtedness, poverty • üLabour unions, workers´ rights, welfare state • üWar, militarism, imperialism > Global Justice Movement: perspectives •Various methods and approaches to the study of Global Justice Movement (GJM) within the field of collective action research •Empirical meso-structuralism vs. social holism vs. political and moral philosophy: • ØGJM primarily as a network of organizations with common themes, goals, social base – study of a change in resources, political opportunities structure, framing etc. - della Porta, Tarrow, Rucht, Reiter, Starr etc. • ØGJM as a consequence (or, bearer) of broader societal and economic processes, dynamics and change, and as a political (social) sign of moral rage or discontent in societies - Crossley, Munck, Klein etc. Ø ØGJM as a historically new political subject that is bearer of hope for universal emancipation or at least better future – George, Aguiton, Graeber, Monbiot, Kingsnorth • > Occupy Movement •Followed Great Recession of 2007/2008 •Inspired by the Arab Spring (and European anti-austerity protests) – mass occupation of public spaces (squares) •Concerned by global financial system, economic and social inequalities, undermining of democracy •Goals: tax rich, regulate financial industry > Occupy Wall Street