Text Based Assignment 2

The most essential element to any social movement is people, and not just any people. They need to be people who support understand and realize the implications of the problem at hand and the change they are initiating. In order for a movement to be successful it needs to be a concerted and sustained force towards a common goal. The development of the global economy and the fight against its pending injustices is no different.

This topic is a difficult one to place into a “frame” or collectivity as described by Goodwin and Jasper in their introduction to “Who Joins or Supports Social Movements.” Global economic issues are multifaceted arguably to an almost extreme degree. Issues such as job security, transportation and shipping practices as well as human rights are in question. These are merely some broad examples but the list goes still goes on. However for my purposes I will say that the general frame of this movement is centered on consumerism and the mighty (or nor so mighty at present) dollar and when and where that dollar is spent. Therefore the simplified collective identity would be the consumer.

A consumer being anyone who has the power and will purchase means that the globalization/corporatization phenomena effects everyone regardless of race, gender, religion, socio-political affiliation or class (perhaps with the exception of the super-elite). With the increasing price of commodities more and more people are beginning to take notice of the issues at hand. Even though more people are taking notice it is unlikely that many will formally join a formal organization. As explained by Goodwin and Jasper this is one of the core problems with recruitment in these type of social change organizations. People have the knowledge about a topic, they have a reason to be upset about it yet they still do not join.

Why is that?

They may be afraid to. Like the women in Young’s article about the Equal Rights Amendment they could fear retribution in some way, shape or form. That retribution may come from their employers, their spouses or as the pro-ERA Mormon women from their religious organization. However, since the global economy issue universally affects most people equally it is difficult to discern where exactly that retribution may come from. It may also be a fear of being labeled as an extremists grouped along with groups from other social conflicts like eco-terrorists or perhaps the fear of being called a liberal.
Organizations dedicated to the anti-globalization campaign keep their activists interest through publicized research and news. Since this field is so dynamic there are new points of interest that are constantly emerging that allow activists to explore a variety of sub-topics and therefore stay engaged in the movement. Ad Busters is one of the publications that consistently disseminates new and trendy causes and way to support them.

Regardless of labels and liberalism the people who support and stay actively engaged in the fight against global corporatization are seemingly genuinely concerned citizens who care about where their money goes and the negative effects it has both at home and abroad. Interestingly enough this movement is supported at the moment by a group that is has not been largely discussed in our background literature. Anit-globalization organizations are supported largely by educated, non-minority men and women and people who know who Bono is. These people are mostly liberally politically minded some to the extreme left. Most of the cause supporters are those who are not heavily invested in companies who participate in off-shore economics like overseas investment and employment out-sourcing. It is likely people of that sort would be making money off of those aspects therefore would want nothing to do with the movement. The “evil face” that activists are pitted against would be the face of corporate greed and organizations like the WTO and the IMF.

The face representing the anti-globalization movement is difficult to pinpoint. There are several good candidates for the job. First, economist Jeffery Sachs; Sachs has seen the devastation of American investment in developing countries and issues an eye opening report on such in his book The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. In his work he outlines his plan for global economic success and does so, as the title suggests, in a manner which is entirely possible to accomplish in the future. He is highly critical of the role that the WTO and the IMF play on the global stage. Keep in mind since this movement is so varied and diverse there are likely hundreds of individuals who could fill this position. Given the circumstances if I had the right to chose someone to lead the movement and create positive change within my lifetime Jeffery Sachs would be an obvious choice.

Intersectionaltites as explained by Crenshaw in her speech before the senate have a presence in this movement as well as any other. As aforementioned this movement is composed of largely educated white folks. Crenshaw describes intersectionality as people belonging to more than one group. In her case they were women, a minority group and non-white, also a minority. The definition of intersectionality in this context does not apply to the globalization since they are fairly monogamous as far as race is concerned. The intersectionalities that I see of this group differ from how Crenshaw defines the term. The “anti-globalization” intersectionalities are actually beneficial in the sense that people in this group come from varied upper-middle class backgrounds and various educational specialties. This allows people to find a specific interest within the movement and therefore keep their interest.

At this point in its evolution the anti-globalization movement is racially lopsided. This is a weakness in the structure of the movement since it may be perceived as elitist and exclusionary towards ethnic minorities. However, through public awareness and due time it is possible to have a more ethnically diverse group of people come on-board. As mentioned previously the unique point in this movement is that it affects almost everyone, not only in the United States, but across globe.