1. Dr. Susan P. Mains Geography
GE21001 Dynamic Human Worlds Lecture 12 New Social Movements Blog:
Dr. Susan P. Mains
Geography

2. New Social Movements Lecture Outline: Defining NSM
Different forms of movements
Case Studies

3. 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’

4. New Social Movements New Movements
Structure more informal—supporters rather than members
Range of networks
Beyond single issue—longterm change at local/national/international levels
May utilize single issue protest stratgegies

5. 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’

6. Examples of Movements Peace Indigenous Rights Environmental Women’s
Gay & Lesbian
Arab Uprising

7. Arab Spring Changing framework for political action emerging in 2011
Grassroots movements
‘Witnessing’ through digital technology
Egypt: Rammy Essam
Revolution & repression?
Shifting political economies
Multiple locations:

8. 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

9. 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

10. New Social Movements
Anti-World Trade Organization protests, Seattle 1999
Anti-globalisation
No Logo-Naomi Klein

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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?

14. Media & Protest
Anti-WTO protests (‘Battle in Seattle,’ 1999, 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

15. More Recently
Broader access for ‘citizen’ reporters with ‘local’ knowledge
Large television newstations encouraging ‘on-the-ground’ reporters
Range of news channels
Crossing borders
Use of internet, range of sources, political perspectives
Indymedia, Demotix
But, increasing centralisation of ownership
E.g., Murdoch-owned News Corp

16. Film & Geopolitics Small number of large distributors
Hollywood & Bollywood
Films may incorporate different media
Literature, music, news, animation
Geography of language in film
Linked to city & national policies
e.g., Tax incentives, film festivals, launch of smaller budget ‘critical’ films (e.g., Braveheart vs You´ve Been Trumped), tourism