1. Class 12: Globalization and Governance 2
Sociology 2
Copyright © 2010 by Evan Schofer
Do not copy or distribute without permission

2. Announcements Today’s class: Background on readings for next week
Readings for next week address theories of globalization
Note: some of the readings are hard. They are written by academics and for academics. Do your best to grapple with them…
Global civil society & “social movements”
The global environmental movement (an example)

3. Upcoming Readings: Theories
Issue: What is a “theory”?
Little “t” theory: A specific claim: an argument that leads to empirical predictions
Example: Economic law of “supply and demand”
A theory… (“laws” are just theories that work well)
Claim: prices reflect equilibrium of supply and demand
We can “test” this theory with experiments…
Big “T” Theory: Big ideas: A broad set of ideas and imageries about the social world
“Big ideas” that guide researchers and help to generate specific (“little t”) theories
Example: Marxist theory: not just a single prediction

4. Theories Marxism (“big T” Theory) combines:
1. Observations about the nature of capitalism
e.g., exploitation of labor
2. Identification of important dynamics
e.g., dialectics, historical shift from feudalism to capitalism
3. Development of new concepts
e.g., Alienation, false consciousness
4. Complex predictions about the future
e.g., capitalist revolution, socialism
5. Normative evaluations
This broader kind of “theory” is useful because it generates a rich description of the world
And produces many specific claims to be tested
But, it isn’t easy to prove “right” or “wrong”.

5. Main Theories: The Economy
General perspectives on the economy:
Readings by Brawley, Sernau
1.Adam Smith: Markets as prosperity & progress
“Liberalism”, “Neo-liberalism”
2. Karl Marx: Markets as a destructive force
Cause of inequality and misery
3. Keynesianism: Markets as beneficial but unstable
Markets need to be regulated to be stable
Workers and vulnerable groups need protection
Also discussed in Serneau reading: “Optimal hybrid?”

6. Main Theories: Sociology
Covered in readings by Sernau, Drori
1. Modernization theory
An optimistic view that societies will “develop” and become more prosperous
2. World System Theory (WST)
Related view: “Dependency Theory”. I will lump them together, despite some differences
Building on Marx: economic exploitation will perpetuate global inequality
3. World Polity Theory (WPT)
Also called “Institutional” or “neo-institutional” theory
Argues that international institutions and “global culture” are reshaping the world.

7. Main Theories: Political Science
Covered by Brawley (and next week)
1. Realism
Also called: Neo-realism, the “realist” view
A theory emphasizing the importance of military (not economic) power…
2. Institutionalism / interdependence
WARNING: World Polity Theory also called “institutionalism”
Interdependence has lead to the creation of global institutions. Power isn’t the only thing that matters.
3. Constructivism
A political science version of ‘World polity theory”
Global norms and ideas influence countries…

8. Readings: Week 7 Serneau, Scott. “Class: A World of Rich and Poor.”
Provides general background on global inequality
Reviews broad theories of the economy
Adam Smith & the economists (optimistic)
Karl Marx (pessimist)
Reviews two main sociology theories:
Why are some nations rich and some poor?
Modernization theory (optimistic)
Dependency theory (pessimistic)
Similar to “World-system theory”…

9. Readings: Week 7
Brawley, Mark R “Theoretical Lenses for Viewing Globalization”
A more challenging reading…
Reviews perspectives on markets
Adam Smit: Markets as a source of “progress”
Keynesians: Markets as a source of instability
Marx: Markets as a destructive force
Reviews theories from political science
Realism
Institutionalism / Interdependence
Constructivism.

10. Readings: Week 7
Drori, Gili “Institutionalism and Globalization Studies.”
Contrasts main views from sociology:
Modernization Theory
World System / Dependency Theory
World Polity Theory / “Institutional” theory.

11. Governance: Definitions
IGO: Inter-governmental Organization: An organization whose members are governments
Again, purpose is usually to negotiate or enforce agreements among governments
Ex: The World Trade Organization (WTO)
Members created it as a forum to manage world trade
Ex: The World Bank
Governments created it to reduce poverty and encourage development via loans and projects
Ex: European Union
An supra-national government that coordinates (and in some cases has the power to set) economic & trade policies for member countries
Ex: UNEP: The United Nations Environment Program
Branch of the UN; urges nations to address environmental issues

12. Key Players in Global Governance

13. Civil Society
Issue: States and corporations are not the only players in global governance
Civil society: citizen activity in the public sphere that is not part of the state or business sector
Includes things like: Citizen participation in organizations, protest activities
Social movements: Sustained efforts by members of civil society to challenge existing governance and produce social change.

14. Governance: Definitions
Some components of civil society:
NGO: Non-governmental Organization
A domestic association
Clean Water Action; The Nature Conservancy
Also sometimes called “non-profits” or “associations”
INGO: International non-governmental organization
An association that is international in membership and (typically) scope
Ex: Greenpeace, WWF

15. Trends in Global Civil Society
Global civil society has been growing rapidly:

16. Civil Society & Governance
How does civil society affect governance?
Read Wapner article on Greenpeace for additional info
1. National civil society and social movements put pressure on states
Example: US environmental organizations put pressure on governments to address problems or participate in global treaties
2. Global civil society and social movements can put pressure on states and intergovernmental organizations
Ex: Greenpeace can try to pressure countries around the world; and put pressure on the World Bank.

17. Civil Society & Governance
How does civil society affect governance?
3. As Keck and Sikkink point out: Globalization increases the opportunities of civil society
National civil society can gain assistance from other states or global civil society
Ex: Domestic human rights protestors are often unsuccessful by themselves due to repression
But, domestic protestors can increasingly appeal to the international community
Domestic protestors can get help from international NGOs (e.g., Amnesty International) or people in wealthy nations
Increasing their chances of success.

18. Civil Society & Governance
Civil society strategies:
1. Lobbying/fundraising to affect elections
2. Education / creating awareness of problems
And, encouraging people to change behavior
3. “Contentious politics” – direct challenge to state (or international) authority
Demonstrations; civil disobedience; even violent acts (e.g., destroying a plant genetics lab)
Issue: Social movements often use all of these strategies to generate change.

19. Global Environmental Movement
The global environmental movement
International efforts to address environmental problems on a global scale…
Historical background:
Prior to 1950, there were few attempts to systematically address environmental problems
Starting in 1960s, rapid social change occurred:
Growth of a popular environmental movement in US and Europe
First major national laws to halt pollution.

20. Global Environmental Movement
1970s: Environmentalism goes global
1972: First major international conference addressing environmental issues
Big growth in INGOs, treaties, IGOs
By 1990s
Large numbers of environmental NGOs and INGOs
National and global civil society…
Many international treaties & IGOs
Increased global governance
International movements and governance linked to changes in government policies
Nearly all countries have environmental protection laws, addressing air, water, etc.

21. Trends in Environmental Protection
Source: Frank et al. 2000

22. The Global Environmental Movement
Question: Why has the global environmental movement been (somewhat) successful?
Most common explanation:
Environmental problems (pollution, disasters) got so bad that people got angry, frustrated…
Therefore people banded together around common concerns, began to fight for social change
In short, social problems (or “grievances”) generate social movements.

23. The Global Environmental Movement
Grievance-based explanations of social movements are very appealing
And, are echoed by social movement participants, themselves
Sociologists are critical of such explanations
Classic work by Tilly; Macadam, McCarthy & Zald.
Historically, many important social problems and grievances have not produced effective movements
For instance: Poorest & most oppressed rarely revolt
Ex: Environmental protests are more likely in clean suburbs, rather than urban/industrial areas.

24. The Global Environmental Movement
Environmental grievances have existed for centuries, without prompting a movement
Example: London “fog”, which killed people in the 19th century
Evidence shows that people knew coal was the cause… but they didn’t do anything about it
Example: Mass deforestation in Europe was celebrated, rather than treated as a problem.

25. The Global Environmental Movement
What makes a social movement happen?
Scholars of the civil rights movement observed the following requirements:
1. Resource mobilization
Social movements require resources: Money, people, organizational capacity
Example: Black churches in the American South
Example: Anti-globalization protestors in Commanding Heights video. They were skilled college students with free time and strong organizational capacity.

26. The Global Environmental Movement
Environmentalism in US and Europe started among wealthy suburbanites
They were professionals, with lots of money, organizational capacity
Environmental movement was not started by those most directly affected by urban pollution, environmental health threats.

27. The Global Environmental Movement
What makes a social movement happen?
2. Political Opportunities
Success of social movement depends a lot on the political environment:
1. Overall level of political repression
Example: Protest is rare in authoritarian countries
2. Kind of party in power; Allies in high places
Example: Unions fared worse under Reagan, Thatcher.

28. The Global Environmental Movement
The environmental movement emerged in the 1960s
The broader social change of the civil rights movement provided a political opportunity
The country (and government) was moving to the left, and there was a willingness to address new ideas and new social problems
More recently, the environmental movement fared better under Clinton than Bush.

29. The Global Environmental Movement
What makes a social movement happen?
3. Framing
“Framing” refers to strategic use of potent images and symbols (“cognitive frames”) to support a cause
Think of it as PR for social movements
Example: Pro-choice vs. Pro life
Example: Anti-globalization unions equate manufacturing job with American “way of life”
…Free Trade will turn us into a 3rd world country
Can you think of more examples?

30. The Global Environmental Movement
Environmentalists have a long history of successful framing
Example: Animal rights movement effectively used images of baby seals being killed by clubs
Example: Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring”
Also, they use cultural frames and arguments from science to press their cause
They borrow the “authority” of science.

31. The Global Environmental Movement
In sum: global environmentalism has a history of:
Effective resource mobilization
Political opportunities
Successful framing
Result: Global environmentalists were relatively successful in US, Europe, and on a global scale
States enacted basic laws to protect air, water, consumers, etc
Treaties and IGOs were formed to protect endangered species, certain pollutants (e.g., CFCs).

32. The Global Environmental Movement
Question #2: Does the global environmental movement matter? Does it improve the situation?
Answer: Yes and No.
In some cases, environmental destruction has been reversed due to citizen action & government reform:
Air pollution in many US cities
Water pollution of lakes and rivers
Some endangered species (e.g., elephants).

33. The Environmental Movement
In some cases, environmental destruction is still getting worse, but not as fast as predicted (given growth of population, GDP)
Ex: CFC production (an ozone-depleting gas)
Ex: deforestation
Finally, some environmental problems just keep getting worse and worse
Ex: habitat destruction (ex: rainforests), overuse of antibiotics, etc.

34. The Global Environmental Movement
In sum: There is no doubt that the global environmental movement has had some important successes
This is notable to sociologists, because many social movements fail utterly
Especially those that challenge the interests of capitalists
BUT: HUGE challenges remain…
The magnitude of the problem is staggering
In world of 6.6 billion people and over $40 trillion of yearly economic activity, there is a lot of degradation
Successes of environmental movement may ultimately prove insufficient.