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Resisting Neoliberal Globalization: Coalition Building Between RESISTING NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION: COALITION BUILDING BETWEEN ANTI-GLOBALIZATION ACTIVISTS IN NORTHWEST OHIO Kendel A. Kissinger A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS December 2005 Committee: Rekha Mirchandani, Advisor Philip Terrie ii ABSTRACT Rekha Mirchandani, Advisor Few scholars have attempted to document the nature of coalition building within the antiglobalization movement, and this study is an attempt to analyze part of this complex and important social movement. This study is a synopsis of Northwest Ohio’s anti-globalization movement and concentrates on the nature of alliances across movements and the numerous dilemmas they encounter. The major assumption of this project is that neoliberalism dominates the globalization process through the policies and practices of various governance institutions and that the anti-globalization movement arose as a counter-movement in response to neoliberal changes. Based on thirteen interviews conducted within Northwest Ohio’s activist community, this study is a qualitative research project that explores the motivations of labor, peace, farm worker, environmental, and anarchist activists, their concerns about the nature of globalization, and their experiences with cross-movement alliance building. The objective of this study is, first, to provide some historical context on globalization, political and economic thought, coalition building, anti-globalization’s antecedent movements and the broader national and international movement; second, to explain how and why various social movements in Northwest Ohio became part of the anti-globalization movement and identify the problematic issues of cross-movement alliances. The study begins with a review of literature on coalitional movements, anti-globalization activism, and the antecedent movements of Northwest Ohio’s anti-globalization movement. I also provide a history of contending liberalisms and the process of globalization. Finally, interviews with Northwest Ohio activists are analyzed to examine personal recollections of the emergence of concerns about the nature of iii globalization, anti-globalization activism, and experiences with coalition building across movements. The findings of this study center around the dilemmas of coalition building and the utility of theories on neoliberalism for explaining anti-globalization activism. Northwest Ohio’s anti-globalization movement is not a cohesive movement based on a collective anti-globalization identity but rather a diverse group of activists joined together by the perceived threats of neoliberal globalization. As they attempt to form alliances across movements, differences in social characteristics, group structures, leadership styles, decision-making models, and tactics pose considerable challenges. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to a host of individuals who supported me in various ways and I can never truly repay them. First and foremost, I am most grateful to my advisors, Bowling Green State University professors Rekha Mirchandani and Liette Gidlow. Writing the early versions of my manuscript was, to stay the least, challenging and Liette Gidlow offered her skillful advice and warm support during this difficult process. Rekha Mirchandani helped with my final draft and I am deeply grateful for her thorough and gentle critiques. Gidlow and Mirchandani’s suggestions always improved my manuscript and stimulated my intellect and they have my endearing gratitude. Philip Terrie agreed to be my second reader quite late in this process and I am deeply grateful for his willingness to invest his time and energy in this project. University librarian Carol Singer provided excellent bibliographical assistance and her skills with various search engines assisted me in finding sources I never could have located on my own. I must also give thanks to my husband Paul Lopez. I owe much of my success to his unwavering, enthusiastic support, willingness to proofread each chapter, and loving temperament. Some of the inspiration for this study came from my interactions with Northwest Ohio’s activists. As I reflect on the most enjoyable moments of this study, the time I spent interviewing peace, labor, environmental, farm labor, and anarchist activists was tremendously gratifying. Each individual’s history, viewpoint, and personal convictions sparked not only my intellectual curiosity but also touched my heart. My personal involvement with the Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition has given me a sense of community and a deep admiration for those involved in social movements. I am thankful for both the rich intellectual stimulation and the friendships that developed from this experience. v TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................1 Conceptualizing Neoliberal Globalization...........................................................................2 Activists Opposing Neoliberal Globalization ......................................................................4 Procedure and Methodology................................................................................................5 II. SURVEY OF RESEARCH ON COALITION BUILDING BETWEEN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ................................................................................................................................8 Coalition Building and New Social Movements .................................................................8 Case Studies.......................................................................................................................12 Characteristics of Successful Coalitions............................................................................21 III. HISTORICIZING NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION.........................................................24 Political and Economic Thought: Contending Liberalisms in U.S. History......................26 The Process of Globalization.............................................................................................36 IV. ANTI-GLOBALIZATION ACTIVISM AND ITS ANTECEDENT SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ..............................................................................................................................43 Antecedent Movements of Northwest Ohio’s Anti-globalization Movement...................43 The Environmental Movement ..............................................................................44 The Peace Movement.............................................................................................47 Labor and Peace Relations.....................................................................................49 Recent Trends in Labor Movement Activism........................................................53 Farm Workers Movement......................................................................................53 The Anarchist Movement ......................................................................................58 Anti-globalization Activism...............................................................................................61 vi Characterizations of the Anti-globalization Movement.........................................62 Seattle and Beyond ................................................................................................65 V. BATTLING NEOLIBERALISM: ANTI-GLOBALIZATION ACTIVISM AND COALITION BUILDING BETWEEN THE DIVERSE ACTIVISTS OF NORTHWEST OHIO, 1970-2003 ......................................................................................................................................70 Theoretical Framework......................................................................................................74 Activists Respond to Neoliberalism’s Early Years............................................................77 New Waves of Activism in the 1980s................................................................................79 Resistance to NAFTA and other Neoliberal Practices.......................................................86 Neoliberalism Invades the Social Sphere ..........................................................................92 Precursors and Repercussions of the Battle in Seattle.......................................................97 Jobs With Justice Attempts to Bridge the Gaps between Movements.............................107 Retrospect ........................................................................................................................114 VI. CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................................................................116 Dilemmas of Coalition Building......................................................................................119 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................................126 APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................137 Appendix One: Survey Instrument ..................................................................................137 Appendix Two: Interviewee Background Information....................................................138 1 I. INTRODUCTION Northwest Ohio’s Mike Ferner began his work as an activist as a youth, has been involved in numerous environmental, peace, and labor campaigns, and
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