🌐Anthropology of Globalization Unit 11 – Global Movements: Resistance & Change

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Globalization: process of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence among nations, economies, and cultures
• Global movements: collective actions that transcend national boundaries to address shared concerns or goals
• Resistance: opposition or challenge to dominant power structures, policies, or ideologies
• Social movements: organized efforts by groups of people to bring about social, political, economic, or cultural change
• Transnational activism: coordinated actions by individuals and organizations across national borders to influence global issues
• Global civil society: network of non-governmental organizations, social movements, and individuals engaged in global issues
• Alter-globalization: movement that seeks to promote alternative forms of globalization based on social justice, environmental sustainability, and democratic participation
• Global justice: concept that emphasizes the need for fairness, equality, and human rights in the context of globalization

Historical Context

• Colonialism and imperialism: historical processes of political, economic, and cultural domination by powerful nations over other territories and peoples
• Decolonization: process of former colonies gaining independence and asserting their sovereignty in the post-World War II era
• Cold War: period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union (1947-1991) that influenced global power dynamics and ideological conflicts
• Neoliberalism: economic and political ideology that emphasizes free markets, deregulation, and privatization as key drivers of economic growth and development
  • Gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s through policies promoted by international financial institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund)
• Structural adjustment programs: economic reforms imposed on developing countries by international financial institutions as a condition for receiving loans or aid
• Anti-globalization protests: series of demonstrations and protests against neoliberal globalization, such as the 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) protests in Seattle
• Rise of global terrorism: increased threat of terrorist attacks and networks operating across national borders (Al-Qaeda, ISIS)

Major Global Movements

• Environmental movements: collective actions to address global environmental issues (climate change, deforestation, pollution)
  • Examples: Greenpeace, 350.org, Extinction Rebellion
• Human rights movements: efforts to promote and protect fundamental human rights and freedoms worldwide
  • Examples: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch
• Women's movements: struggles for gender equality, women's empowerment, and reproductive rights
  • Examples: #MeToo movement, Women's March
• Labor movements: actions to improve working conditions, wages, and labor rights in the context of globalization
  • Examples: International Trade Union Confederation, Clean Clothes Campaign
• Indigenous rights movements: efforts by indigenous peoples to assert their rights to land, resources, and self-determination
  • Examples: Zapatista movement in Mexico, Standing Rock protests against Dakota Access Pipeline
• Anti-war and peace movements: opposition to military interventions, arms trade, and promotion of peaceful conflict resolution
  • Examples: International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Women in Black
• Peasant and farmers' movements: struggles by small-scale farmers and peasants against corporate agriculture and land grabbing
  • Examples: La Via Campesina, Landless Workers' Movement (MST) in Brazil

Resistance Strategies and Tactics

• Protests and demonstrations: public gatherings to express dissent or demand change
  • Examples: Occupy Wall Street, Arab Spring protests
• Boycotts and divestment: refusal to purchase or invest in products or companies as a form of protest
  • Examples: Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
• Civil disobedience: non-violent refusal to comply with unjust laws or policies
  • Examples: Greenpeace activists blocking oil rigs, tree-sitting to prevent deforestation
• Online activism and hacktivism: use of digital technologies and platforms to organize, mobilize, and raise awareness
  • Examples: Anonymous, WikiLeaks
• Alternative media and counter-narratives: creation and dissemination of media content that challenges dominant narratives and perspectives
  • Examples: Indymedia, Al Jazeera
• Transnational solidarity and coalitions: building alliances and networks across borders to support shared struggles and goals
  • Examples: World Social Forum, Global South solidarity movements
• Legal and institutional strategies: using legal systems and international institutions to advance movement goals
  • Examples: climate change litigation, advocacy at United Nations forums

Case Studies and Examples

• Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico: indigenous uprising against neoliberal policies and for autonomy and self-determination
  • Emerged in 1994 in response to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
  • Established autonomous communities and governance structures
• Anti-sweatshop movement: campaigns to improve working conditions and labor rights in global garment industry
  • Targeted major brands (Nike, Gap) and raised awareness about exploitative labor practices
  • Led to adoption of corporate codes of conduct and monitoring systems
• Global campaign for access to HIV/AIDS treatment: advocacy efforts to ensure affordable access to life-saving medications in developing countries
  • Challenged pharmaceutical patents and pricing policies
  • Resulted in increased access to generic drugs and global funding for HIV/AIDS treatment
• Occupy Wall Street movement: protests against economic inequality and corporate influence in politics
  • Spread to multiple cities worldwide in 2011
  • Popularized slogans like "We are the 99%" and "People over profits"
• Standing Rock protests against Dakota Access Pipeline: indigenous-led resistance to oil pipeline construction on sacred lands and water sources
  • Attracted global solidarity and media attention in 2016-2017
  • Raised issues of indigenous rights, environmental justice, and fossil fuel divestment

Impact on Societies and Cultures

• Increased awareness and public discourse on global issues: movements have put issues like climate change, inequality, and human rights on the global agenda
• Policy changes and reforms: movements have pressured governments and institutions to adopt new policies and laws
  • Examples: Paris Agreement on climate change, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Shifts in cultural attitudes and values: movements have challenged dominant cultural norms and promoted alternative values
  • Examples: greater acceptance of diversity and inclusion, questioning of consumerist lifestyles
• Empowerment of marginalized groups: movements have given voice and agency to groups that have been historically excluded or oppressed
  • Examples: indigenous peoples, women, LGBTQ+ communities
• Backlash and repression: movements have also faced counter-movements, state repression, and violence in some contexts
  • Examples: assassination of environmental activists, crackdown on protests by authoritarian regimes
• Uneven and contested outcomes: impacts of movements are often complex, partial, and subject to ongoing struggles and negotiations
  • Examples: limited implementation of global agreements, persistence of structural inequalities

Theoretical Frameworks

• World-systems theory: analyzes the global economy as a hierarchical system of core, semi-periphery, and periphery countries
  • Emphasizes the unequal exchange and exploitation between regions
• Dependency theory: argues that the underdevelopment of the Global South is a result of its subordinate position in the global capitalist system
  • Calls for delinking from the global economy and pursuing self-reliant development
• Postcolonial theory: examines the cultural, political, and economic legacies of colonialism and imperialism
  • Highlights the agency and resistance of colonized peoples and the hybrid nature of postcolonial identities
• Feminist theories: analyze the gendered dimensions of globalization and the role of women's movements in resisting patriarchal oppression
  • Intersectional approaches consider the interlocking systems of oppression based on gender, race, class, and other identities
• Social movement theories: explain the emergence, dynamics, and outcomes of collective action and social movements
  • Examples: resource mobilization theory, political process theory, framing theory
• Theories of global civil society: examine the role of non-state actors and transnational networks in shaping global governance and social change
  • Emphasize the potential for democratic participation and accountability beyond the nation-state

Challenges and Criticisms

• Co-optation and institutionalization: movements may be absorbed or neutralized by dominant institutions and power structures
  • Examples: corporate social responsibility, NGO-ization of social movements
• Fragmentation and lack of coordination: movements may be divided by ideological differences, competing priorities, or lack of resources
  • Can limit their effectiveness and impact
• Representation and accountability: movements may not always represent the diverse interests and voices of the communities they claim to speak for
  • Can lead to internal conflicts and criticisms of elitism or exclusion
• Unintended consequences: actions of movements may have unintended or negative consequences
  • Examples: boycotts hurting local workers, protests leading to increased state repression
• Limitations of global governance: movements may face challenges in influencing global decision-making processes that are dominated by powerful states and corporations
  • Lack of enforcement mechanisms for global agreements and norms
• Critiques of Western-centrism: some criticize global movements as reflecting Western values and priorities
  • Call for more attention to local and indigenous knowledge and practices
• Debates over tactics and strategies: movements may disagree over the most effective or appropriate ways to achieve their goals
  • Examples: debates over the use of violence, the role of social media, the value of institutional engagement