Globalization and Contestation: The New Great Counter-movement

Globalization is undoubtedly the great overarching paradigm of our era. However, there is still little agreement on what globalization actually ’is’ and some do not accept that it ’is’ anything at all.

This new book addresses the contestation of globalization by the anti- or counter-globalization movement. To contest means to challenge, to call into question, to doubt, to oppose and to litigate. This study shows how globalization is ’contestable’ in many different ways and how the counter-movements we have seen emerging over the last decade also ’bear witness’ on behalf of an alternative human future. Ronaldo Munck presents an overarching framework that allows us to understand how globalization and its contestation are inextricably bound up with one another. This volume insightfully explores a number of case studies, including:

• the battle of Seattle in 1999
• the World Social Forum
• peasant internationalism
• environmental movements and reactionary movements including: the US Patriot’s movement, Islamic fundamentalist movements and other nationalist movements.

Globalization and Contestation will be of great interest to all students and scholars of international relations, politics and of globalization and global governance in particular.

Ronaldo Munck is Theme Leader for Internationalization, Interculturalism and Social Development (IISD) at Dublin City University, Ireland.