Two Annotations: Globalization From Below

Two Annotations Name Institutional Affiliation Two Annotations Della Porta, D., Andretta, M., Mosca, L., & Reiter, H. et al. 2006. Globalization from below. Transnational Activists and Protest Networks Volume 26 of Social movements, protest, and contention. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press In “Globalization from Below,” Della Porta et al (2006) seek to explain how the current global justice movement has evolved in the West over the past decade and connect such movements with past activism by presenting three episodes of protests. The authors rely on focus groups and surveys they conduct with participants in European Social Forum in Tuscany and the Genoa Social Forum. Besides surveys and interest groups, Della Porta et al (2006) analyze websites of major organizations to come up with a detailed comparative analysis of three different networks in the movement: the anti-capitalist social centers, network of eco-pacifists, and Action for a Tobin Tax to Aid Citizens (ATTAC). In addition, the authors incorporate a Eurobarometer data in comparing the views of activists with the general public. Analysis of collected data leads to three conclusions. The first argument is that traditional activism has emerged to some form of new networks conveying the notion of a “movement of movements (Della Porta et al., 2006, p.7).” Secondly, the actions of movements can be related to the shifts in collective identities, even in the time when there are national differences. Thirdly, the movement can be perceived as part of an interactive and long-term struggle for more democratic political institutions having roots in the past in spite of the novelty of its international scope. The authors make claims supported by empirical evidence. By a “movement of movements” the authors imply what is presently experienced, and in their work, the participants from Genoa and Tuscany meetings came from different organizations. Almost two thirds of the respondents were from different political movements and half of the members belonged to non-governmental organization (NGO) (Della Porta et al., 2006, p.24). With reference to CCAC question, Dell Porta et al (2006) work is relevant because it largely focuses how social movements or political group actions seek to empower the oppressed populations against powerful institutions such as the World Trade Organization (...