Seven The ‘anti-globalisation’ movement and its implications for social policy
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Nicola Yeates
Abstract
‘Globalisation’ is increasingly taking hold as an integrating force for contemporary social movements. With the processes and effects of globalisation spreading throughout the world, a range of groups and organisations – trades unions, women’s groups, environmental groups, tribal and indigenous groups, consumer groups, religious groups, human rights groups, civil liberties groups, and anti-nuclear groups – have organised to oppose globalisation at local, national and international levels and on a transnational scale. These groups are increasingly taking their complaints directly to institutions, particularly those of the multilateral economic kind, pursuing a ‘free trade’ agenda. Through a series of campaigns during the latter part of the 1990s, most notable of which were the anti-MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investment) campaign (1998) and the ‘Battle of Seattle’ (1999), they have challenged the infringement of democratic and human rights, drawn attention to the neglect of social and economic justice issues and presented broad alternatives to the neo-liberal approach to globalisation (O’Brien et al, 2000; Ayres, 2001;). Although the focus of these campaigns has been on international institutions, they have also organised against some of the most basic elements of the international economic order.
Through an examination of these protests and the responses to them, this chapter considers the implications of globalisation for social policy. The chapter begins by reviewing recent ‘anti-globalisation’ campaigns (section one) and then proceeds to examine the composition and methodologies of the ‘anti-globalisation’ movement (section two). The following two sections focus on the impact of the movement on social policy through a consideration of statist responses to the protests.
Abstract
‘Globalisation’ is increasingly taking hold as an integrating force for contemporary social movements. With the processes and effects of globalisation spreading throughout the world, a range of groups and organisations – trades unions, women’s groups, environmental groups, tribal and indigenous groups, consumer groups, religious groups, human rights groups, civil liberties groups, and anti-nuclear groups – have organised to oppose globalisation at local, national and international levels and on a transnational scale. These groups are increasingly taking their complaints directly to institutions, particularly those of the multilateral economic kind, pursuing a ‘free trade’ agenda. Through a series of campaigns during the latter part of the 1990s, most notable of which were the anti-MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investment) campaign (1998) and the ‘Battle of Seattle’ (1999), they have challenged the infringement of democratic and human rights, drawn attention to the neglect of social and economic justice issues and presented broad alternatives to the neo-liberal approach to globalisation (O’Brien et al, 2000; Ayres, 2001;). Although the focus of these campaigns has been on international institutions, they have also organised against some of the most basic elements of the international economic order.
Through an examination of these protests and the responses to them, this chapter considers the implications of globalisation for social policy. The chapter begins by reviewing recent ‘anti-globalisation’ campaigns (section one) and then proceeds to examine the composition and methodologies of the ‘anti-globalisation’ movement (section two). The following two sections focus on the impact of the movement on social policy through a consideration of statist responses to the protests.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Notes on contributors v
- The year in social policy 1
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UK developments
- Modernising primary healthcare in England: the role of Primary Care Groups and Trusts 15
- Devolution in England: coping with post-industrial industrial regions – issues of territorial inequality 37
- Reconstituting social policy: the case of Northern Ireland 57
- ‘Revolutionising’ care for people with learning difficulties? The Labour government’s Learning Disabilities Strategy 85
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International developments
- Globalisation and welfare: a meso-level analysis 107
- The ‘anti-globalisation’ movement and its implications for social policy 127
- Migration policy in Europe: contradictions and continuities 151
- The European Union’s social policy focus: from labour to welfare and constitutionalised rights? 171
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Conceptual developments
- The politics and economics of disciplining an inclusive and exclusive society 199
- Green social welfare: an investigation into political attitudes towards ecological critiques and prescriptions concerning the welfare state 225
- Using social capital in the policy context: challenging the orthodoxy 249
- Participation and social policy: transformation, liberation or regulation? 265
- Index 291
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- Notes on contributors v
- The year in social policy 1
-
UK developments
- Modernising primary healthcare in England: the role of Primary Care Groups and Trusts 15
- Devolution in England: coping with post-industrial industrial regions – issues of territorial inequality 37
- Reconstituting social policy: the case of Northern Ireland 57
- ‘Revolutionising’ care for people with learning difficulties? The Labour government’s Learning Disabilities Strategy 85
-
International developments
- Globalisation and welfare: a meso-level analysis 107
- The ‘anti-globalisation’ movement and its implications for social policy 127
- Migration policy in Europe: contradictions and continuities 151
- The European Union’s social policy focus: from labour to welfare and constitutionalised rights? 171
-
Conceptual developments
- The politics and economics of disciplining an inclusive and exclusive society 199
- Green social welfare: an investigation into political attitudes towards ecological critiques and prescriptions concerning the welfare state 225
- Using social capital in the policy context: challenging the orthodoxy 249
- Participation and social policy: transformation, liberation or regulation? 265
- Index 291
