An Assessment of Informal Social Movements

Paper Summary:

A paper that shows that in a world of expanding business and human mobility there is an increasing prevalence of corporations extending internationally, resulting in many political and social implications. The author finds that although conventionally, one would join a lobby firm in order to influence government policy through bureaucratic channels; in light of growing corporate globalization, one can argue that these conventional channels are no longer able to reflect the demands and interests of the general population. He finds that although lobby firms possess substantial resources in lobbying government, it is in the flexible structure of informal grassroots organizations that people will be able to influence policy in a globalized world. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of transnational networks in influencing policy by highlighting the insufficiencies of lobby firms, outlining the characteristics of social movements that make them effective, and illustrating the application of these tactics in specific campaigns. Ultimately, it is in these informal movements that the demands of the general public will be heard. The paper focuses on Canada's experience.

From the Paper:

"Ultimately, in a world increasingly dominated by multinational corporations, the future of public interests lies in the methods of grassroots organizations. Lobby firms have become ineffective in representing interests of the public, as they are now puppets of the big business interests who hire them. Likewise, governments have ceased to become the focus of policy change, as they too, have subordinated themselves to the interests of multinational corporations. Thus, it is in the flexible and adaptive structures of grassroots lobbying that Canadian voices and interests will be heard in the global arena. The reality that the strength of corporations in this arena is indubitable; yet, it is in the mobilization of collective action from grassroots organizations that will keep these corporations in check and ensure global social justice."

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