GE21001 Dynamic Human Worlds Lecture 11 New Social Movements Blog: http://dynamichumanworlds.wordpress.com

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GE21001 Dynamic Human WorldsLecture 11New
Social MovementsBlog http//dynamichumanworlds.
wordpress.com

• Dr. Susan P. Mains
• Geography

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New Social Movements

• Lecture Outline
• Defining NSM
• Different forms of movements
• Case Studies

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New Social Movements

• New Movements
• Shift from pre-1960s movements
• Diversity of goals
• Economic? social changes in
• identity, lifestyle, culture
• Activists from new middle class

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New Social Movements

• New Movements
• Structure more informalsupporters rather than
  members
• Range of networks
• Beyond single issuelongterm change at
  local/national/international levels
• May utilize single issue protest stratgegies

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Movement Culture

• Identity, ideology and politics
• Social relations, symbols and identities
• Challenging hierarchies
• Autonomy horizontalism
• e.g., Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe
• antagonism
• antagonistic politics
• nodal points

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Examples of Movements

• Peace
• Indigenous Rights
• Environmental
• Womens
• Gay Lesbian
• Arab Uprising

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Arab Spring

• Changing framework for political action
• Grassroots movements
• Witnessing through digital technology
• Egypt Rammy Essam
• http//www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-142545
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• Revolution repression?
• Shifting political economies
• http//www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0150mtb/Anal
  ysis_Libyas_Islamic_Capitalists/
• Multiple locations
• http//www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12482311

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Chipko Movement, India

• Emerged during 1970s
• 1974 Chamoli District
• Non-violent movement building on Gandhian
  philosophy
• Peaceful resistance
• tree hugging
• Prevent tree cutting promote conservation
• On the Fence
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vtlooQxBTrL8

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Chipko Movement

• By 1980s widespread throughout India
• Changes in legislation
• Perception of women in activist politics
• Links to more recent environmental movements
• Role of media
• Political Ecology
• Vandana Shiva

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New Social Movements
Anti-World Trade Organization protests, Seattle
1999 http//www.globalissues.org/article/46/wto-pr
otests-in-seattle-1999 Anti-globalisation No
Logo-Naomi Klein
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Anti-WTO Protests

• Diversity of social groups 
• anti-Third World Debt 
• strategic use of space, e.g., Seattle 1999 
• use of technology is important 
• decentralised power
• the role of the state and international monetary
  funding bodies, WTO, IMF, World Bank
• neo-colonialism
• issues of race and gender
• use of media and problems of reporting

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Media Anti-WTO Protests

• Social movement bringing together different
  political, activist organizations
• Groups may encompass different goals and
  strategies, but with commonalities
• debt reduction
• fair trade
• union representation
• sustainable development
• redistribution of wealth
• removal of corporate welfare

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Media Anti-WTO Protests

• Mainstream media controlled by limited number of
  organizations
•  Key source of news information
• Reuters
• Associated Press
• News Representations limited? mainstream coverage
  of protests, places, events limited
• Discourses around protests important
  police/governments vs protesters
• What images are used most frequently? Why?

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Media Protest

• Anti-WTO protests, alternative media images
  important use of web, camcorders, alternative
  journalists
• IndyMedia
• AdBusters 
• During protests use of media linked to use of
  space
• Symbolic power of institutions questionned
• MacDonalds
• Starbucks
• Nike
• Re-reading corporate and state landscapes