Global Civil Society: Inducing Social Change in the Modern World System

• In Event: 505 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 11. Social Change, Protest, and Civil Society

Abstract

With the aim to estimate the influence of global civil society, a series of expert interviews has been conducted. There are opinions that elitist NGOs from the North, UN organizations, and wealthy funds are more influential, but grassroots protest movements have some effect too. Most NGO activists are male white Westerners with a very good university education, experts in law, economy or political science, they constitute a definite elite; on the other hand protest are popular. Usually activists demonstrate commitment, value human rights, believe in the possibility of change, and have more global views. Western NGOs tend to have a more individualistic approach, while some governments and Global South movements – collectivist one. Many experts do not see a crisis, but rather separate global problems, when others confirm global crisis of economic and political nature. Global civil society challenges the issues of human rights, inequalities, elitism, war, surveillance, and ecological crisis. They put it on agenda by monitoring, analyzing, raising awareness, advocacy, and direct action on protests. They have drawn attention to a number of issues. Human resources, informing, cooperation, advocacy, and crisis – all contribute to success. Basically, the suggestions of alternatives are conformist, reformist, and transformist, and some countries even implement them. Methods of influence include mass practices, information campaigns, protests, and advocacy. Global civic activism has been successful in promotion of human rights, equality, disarmament, humanitarian aid, international law. The overall success is due to: vision, personal qualities, institutional resources, clever tactics, reflexivity, conducive historical moment, and luck.

Author

• Dmytro Khutkyy, University of California-Riverside