Sum up four readings about Social Protest - Essay Example

Public Attitudes and Participation in Process Introduction A protest referees to the expression of an objection by actions or words to particular policies, situations, or events. The protests may take several forms for instance from the individual statements to the mass demonstration. Protesters have perspectives that show complexity and indicate selective rejection of core institutions and neoliberal policies. However, these perspectives do not involve the overall ‘ant-globalization’ stance.

The available literature on globalization is wide and in immense proportions but lacks analytical and rigorous empirical studies on the several protests over the globalizing forces.Effects of attitudes of participantsAccording to studies conducted by Adler and Mittleman (2004, p. 110), globalization protests are mainly about understanding s of the shifts in the world’s political economy. The protesters’ expressions are not necessarily same as the views of the ideological leaders. From these protests, the streets bear more fluid and latent attitudes in the baseline.

Globalization protests present difficulties in generalizing when centring on a particularly specific event. In most organizations, interviewees have differentiated attitudes towards globalization protests. Participants in protests may be activists, officers, or ordinary members. Most participants in protests, influenced by the information gathered from the internet. The degree of participants ‘involvement in a protest is of more significance in the globalization protests. Moreover, pushing participants to make choices between the can obscure the important interconnections concerning protests.

According to studies conducted by Adler and Mittleman (2004, p. 110), one of the attitudes of protesters is that the protesters are diverse according to their involvement in the global justice demonstration previously. Lack of ability of a protest movement in excluding violent participants, continues to minimize its effectiveness centrally to the states’ growing willingness to employ the respective tactics indiscriminately. In relevance to  Brooks (2004, p. 570), stated that, some of the goals of anti-globalization protesters are delaying talks concluding meetings without an agreement of building new rounds of the trade negotiations.

The anti-globalization movement does not exclude the potentially violent factions and this may impede its ability in democratizing institutions of globalization via the tactic of the protest alone. Brooks (2004, p. 577) further noted that, the movement also employs democratic master frame and operates is more decentralized concerning planning and organization. Participation of each participant in protests is dependent greatly on its ability and/or willingness to deploy a delegation on protest sites.

In addition, Fisher et. al. (2005, p. 120) noted that, attempts to develop centralized organizational framework might pose more problems that are serious for the participants. Moreover, the willingness of the anti-globalization movement to diverse participants and the inability to maintain the authoritative organizational framework may not be possible to implement an itra-movement policing during the protest event. If a state employs repressive measures against protests, protesters may respond in either of the following ways: they can demobilize, change their repertoire to discourage more repression, or increase intensity of their protests.

Fisher et. al. (2005, p. 120) stated that, increased radicalism by protestors such as hate groups and anarchists prompts more repression, resulting in radicals. The participants then strike with extreme violence creating the spiral of counter-terror and terror. The traditional social actors like the far left parties and trade unions generally dominate protests but also involve several people who have never demonstrated before. Social forums are the main focal point of protestors. In reference to Harvey (2012, p. 18), social forums have spread globally, regularly mobilizing several participants around the issues of economic and social justice, environmental sustainability, participatory democracy and labour rights.

Moreover according to protesters’ analyses, a more clear link between cooperate and politics and corruption as well as financial power exists. ConclusionProtests can be very violent and create a lot of havoc in a state. If the host state responds with violent and increased form of repression to protests then the consequences could be frustrating and counterproductive. The host nations for protests should prepare extensively for demonstrations in both strategic and material terms. The state should be engaged in several pre-emptive measures like border checks, group infiltration and raids on the movement protesting.

ReferencesAdler, G. and Mittleman, J. 2004. Reconstituting ‘Common-sense’ Knowledge: Representations of Globalization Protests. International Relations. London: Sage Publications Brooks, C. 2004. Faction in Movement: The Impact of Inclusivity on the Anti-Globalization Movement. Social Science Quarterly. Vol 85 (3) 559-577  Fisher, D. Stanley, K. Berman, D. and Neff. 2005. How Do Organizations Matter? Mobilization and Support for Participants at Five Globalization Protests. Retrieved from: http:// how_do_organizations_matter.pdf. Accessed on [15.03.2014]Harvey, D. 2012. The Urban Roots of Financial Crises: Reclaiming the City for Anti-Capitalist Struggle.

The Urban Roots of Financial Crises. Retrieved from: http:// filecache/instr/t/h/1033471_the_urban_roots_of_finacial_crisis.pdf. Accessed on [15.03.2014]