International Zapatismo: The Construction of Solidarity in the Age of Globalization - Softcover

Olesen, Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1842773879 ISBN 13: 9781842773871

Publisher: Zed Books, 2004

Synopsis

The Zapatista movement and its leader Subcomandante Marcos have attracted enormous attention ever since their uprising began in Chiapas, Mexico, in 1994. The movement not only struck a chord inside the country as Mexico was switching to neoliberal economics and attaching itself to the US in the North American Free Trade Agreement, but it rapidly evoked an extraordinary upwelling of political interest and solidarity in the Americas and worldwide. Thomas Olesen explores this phenomenon in the context of globalization and the networking and communications potential of the Internet. What is the infrastructure of the global Zapatista solidarity network? What activities has it engaged in? What enabled it to develop? What are the longer term implications for new kinds of political action and international solidarity? And what can social theory tell us about the new global patterns of social interaction that are emerging?

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Olesen is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Aarhus in Denmark.

Review:

"Olesen's book offers a powerful case study examined through powerful theoretical lenses. Its empirical focus is the events during and after the 1994 Zapatista uprising in Mexico. Its rich theoretical framework combines ideas drawn from literatures on social movements, information technologies, globalization, and framing theory. As such, it will surely become a landmark in all these fields."--James N. Rosenau, University Professor of International Affairs, George Washington University

"Thomas Olesen has done what many scholars and advocates entranced with the new transnational contention only talk about: he has mapped the international solidarity network formed around the Zapatista rebellion and pinpointed the crucial role of transnational actors and the Internet in it."--Sidney Tarrow, author of Power in Movement and co-author (with Doug McAdam and Charles Tilly) of Dynamics of Contention

"International Zapatismo is the first book-length case study of an international solidarity movement in the era of globalization. Olesen explains this new movement and, by implication, the global solidarity and justice movement more generally."--Peter Waterman, author of Globalization, Social Movements and the New Internationalisms

"A comprehensive, extremely analytical contribution to the literature on transnationalism and indigenous movements. This book provides valuable information about the mutual influence of grassroots activism and solidarity support networks. While capturing the particularity of the Zapatistas, this study frames their experience in larger global debates on neoliberalism and democracy."--Alison Brysk, author of From Tribal Village to Global Village: Indian Rights and International Relations in Latin America

About this edition

• Publisher: Zed Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1842773879
• ISBN 13: 9781842773871
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256