Forms of Action of Global Justice Movement Groups: Do Conceptions and Practices of Democracy Matter?

Abstract

To make their critique of neoliberal politics heard, the Global Justice Movement Organizations (GJMOs) have used a wide array of forms of action, ranging from prayers and petitions, to marches and blockades, to the destruction of property. This complex grammar of activity mirrors the often proclaimed diversity of the movements advocating a just and peaceful globalization. Yet it is very unlikely that the forms of action actually used spread randomly across the GJMOs. Rather, the selection of different kinds of activities from the available stock of means is influenced by structural and ideational factors. Thus far, repertoires of action have mainly been studied with regard to choices of individuals and in protest event analysis. Studies exploring repertoires of movement organizations — our central reference point — have tended to focus on small samples (for example, Carmin and Baiser 2002; Crossley 2002; Meyer 2004; for exceptions, Minkoff 1999, Edwards and Foley 2003). We add to this literature with an analysis of the link between GJMOs (and their environments) and their action repertoires.

We are grateful to Donatella della Porta for her comments on an earlier version of this chapter, and to Wolfgang Stuppert for statistical calculations and the creation of most tables and figures.