What do the Ghanaian Convention People’s Party, the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and the Occupy movement have in common? Answer: they all are (Southern) social movements inhabiting and representing the subaltern. What is more, they are indicative of how the dynamics in which such social movements are embedded and to which they respond have changed and of the subsequent transformative impact that has had on counter-hegemonic social action and representation. In this paper, I will first delineate three waves of Southern social movements, namely national liberation, anti-developmentalist, and anti-neoliberal movements, trace their dialectic interlinkages, and address their differentiated levels of success. To that end, I will shed light on one particular social movement of each phase and discuss how they contended with the prevailing status quo, their motivations, aims, and achievements. I will then argue that, as both the spaces and groups they represent and the structural mechanisms they oppose have become consolidated, deterritorialized, and globalized, we should reject the state-based North-South binary in favor of a cosmopolitan rearticulation of Marxist class antagonism that makes the transnational subaltern the centerpiece of both oppression and resistance. Thereby, I am endorsing the post-sovereign counter-hegemonic project which does not only recognize the inexorability of globalization but also the dialectic potential inherent in that fact.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Social Movements in the Global South: A Dialectical Approach to Subaltern Representation
- Defining Southern Social Movements and their Scope
- Three Waves of Southern Social Movements
- National Liberation Movements and their Achievements and Limits
- Anti-Developmentalist Movements: Negotiating the Limits of Developmentalism
- The Rise of Anti-Neoliberal Movements: New Spaces of Resistance
- A Transnational Subaltern? The Occupy Movement and the Future of Resistance
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the evolution of Southern social movements, tracing their historical development and analyzing their effectiveness in achieving their objectives and representing the interests of the subaltern. The paper argues for a transnational perspective on class struggle and resistance, emphasizing the need to move beyond the traditional North-South binary in understanding contemporary social movements.
- The changing dynamics of Southern social movements
- The effectiveness of social movements in achieving their objectives
- The evolving concept of the subaltern in a globalized world
- The role of Marxist class antagonism in understanding social movements
- The impact of globalization on social movements
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The paper begins by defining Southern social movements and outlining their historical context within the postcolonial sphere. It emphasizes the evolving nature of these movements and the need to move beyond the traditional North-South binary.
- The author identifies three waves of Southern social movements: national liberation, anti-developmentalist, and anti-neoliberal movements. These waves are characterized by their distinct historical and geographical contexts, as well as their respective goals and strategies.
- The paper explores national liberation movements, focusing on the Ghanaian Convention People's Party as a case study. It analyzes their successes in achieving formal independence but also their limitations in addressing the social and economic challenges of the postcolonial era.
- The author examines anti-developmentalist movements, highlighting the Narmada Bachao Andolan as a key example. These movements emerged in response to the perceived failures of developmentalist policies and sought alternative forms of development that prioritized the needs of the subaltern.
- The paper discusses the rise of anti-neoliberal movements, highlighting the Occupy movement as a significant example of transnational resistance to neoliberal globalization. It analyzes the internal debates within the anti-neoliberal movement and the challenges of achieving a united front against neoliberal hegemony.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper explores the key concepts of Southern social movements, subaltern representation, globalization, neoliberalism, class struggle, and transnational resistance. It examines the impact of these concepts on the evolution and effectiveness of social movements in the Global South.
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- Jan-David Franke (Autor:in), 2016, Have Southern social movements achieved power and voice? Whom do they represent?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/411977
