Suchergebnisse

In the last twenty years, and especially since NAFTA, the U.S.-Mexico border has been a site of intensive neoliberal development, particularly in the growth of 2,340 export-processing plants (maquiladoras), ninety percent U.S.-owned. The economic growth this has helped to promote has been both rapid and uneven, and the burdens it has placed on local communities through impoverished conditions of work and life have been immense—no where more so than in Tijuana. Although much of this growth and the associated social and environmental problems have been the subjects of many policy, academic, and journalistic discussions, Tijuana's local community organizations, which have attempted to meet local needs and formulate alternative development paradigms, have not. Based on interviews with community organization representatives in the San Diego/Tijuana region, this text argues that a more complete understanding of these movement efforts to resist neoliberalism, especially the alternative visions for development they construct, are crucial to any understanding of neoliberalism generally, transnational social movements, and more democratic labor and environmental policy. These alternative paradigms differ radically from those promoted by capital and states on both sides of la frontera, and potentially offer a more participatory, democratic, and sustainable form of transnational development, for Mexico and all of North America.

Global, cross-sectional, & mobilizing forces have risen to challenge the liberalizing forces of transnational capital, as evidenced by the contributions in this book. However, transnational civil societies may exhibit their own exclusionary practices & are rife with internal tensions & external limitations. Understanding tensions & barriers provide resources to promote greater international solidarity. Social conditions that enable transnational networks, conflicts over resources, organizational form, identity & coalition goals, & types of collective action that can facilitate coalition building are summarized. In the future, such coalitions must consolidate their power within global civil society & aggressively promote alternative agendas to neoliberalism. Research into the dynamics of cooperation & conflict & transnational identity formation, using comparative methods, is needed. References. M. Pflum

This book studies the transnational alliances of those who challenge top-down, capitalist economic globalization. Its case studies show how transnational cooperation among activists sheds more light on their problems & fosters new organizational structures & skills. Cooperation can take the form of informal, limited networks, temporary coalitions, & longer-term movements. The types & evolution of transnational social movement organizations are described. Coalitions may not cross national boundaries due to environmental & organizational factors, especially the tension between local autonomy & the need for cross-locality unity. Coalitions need to promote dialogue across diverse groups & participants. The outline of the book & the contributions by the essayists are summarized. Tables, References. M. Pflum

This article compares women workers' movements in Nicaragua and Northern Mexico that have mobilized in opposition to the abuses occurring within export-processing zones (EPZs). We examine the opportunities and obstacles that such movements have faced as they seek social change via national and transnational coalitions. Our focus on gender tensions within transnational labor movements illustrates how power relations fracture the space of transnational civil society and constrain opposition to neoliberalism. Women's labor movements in both contexts confront highly gendered national and transnational political spaces, stemming in part from the hegemonic association of women with private space and men with public space. Significant differences in the opportunities for resistance emerging from local and national dynamics in Nicaragua and Mexico demonstrate that the realm of the so-called global cannot be understood as abstracted from historically situated localities.

This article compares women workers' movements in Nicaragua & Northern Mexico that have mobilized in opposition to the abuses occurring within export-processing zones (EPZs). We examine the opportunities & obstacles that such movements have faced as they seek social change via national & transnational coalitions. Our focus on gender tensions within transnational labor movements illustrates how power relations fracture the space of transnational civil society & constrain opposition to neoliberalism. Women's labor movements in both contexts confront highly gendered national & transnational political spaces, stemming in part from the hegemonic association of women with private space & men with public space. Significant differences in the opportunities for resistance emerging from local & national dynamics in Nicaragua & Mexico demonstrate that the realm of the so-called global cannot be understood as abstracted from historically situated localities. 83 References. Adapted from the source document.