Building Transnational Networks: Civil Society And The Politics Of Trade In The Americas (cambridge Studies In Contentious Politics)

"Building Transnational Networks tells the story of how a broad group of civil society organizations came together to contest free trade negotiations in the Americas. Based on research in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, the United States, and Canada, it offers a full hemispheric analysis of the creation of civil society networks as they engaged in the politics of trade. The author demonstrates that most effective transnational actors are the ones with strong domestic roots and that 'southern' organizations occupy key nodes in trade networks. The fragility of activist networks stems from changes in the domestic political context as well as from characteristics of the organizations, the networks, or the actions they undertake. These findings advance and suggest new understandings of transnational collective action"-- Provided by publisher Frontmatter List of Figures (page xiii) List of Tables (page xiv) Acknowledgments (page xvii) Part One Civil Society Organizations and Their Pathways to Transnationality 1. INTRODUCTION (page 3) 2. MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TO TRANSNATIONALITY (page 20) Part Two The Politicization of Trade 3. THE CONTENTIOUS NATURE OF TRADE DEBATES (page 39) 4. NEW REGIONALISM IN THE AMERICAS (page 49) Part Three The Dynamics of Networks 5. TRADE PROTEST NETWORKS (page 67) 6. THE ORIGINS AND DYNAMICS OF TRADE CHALLENGERS' NETWORKS (page 81) Part Four Organizational Pathways to Transnationality 7. THE CREATION AND DEMISE OF TRANSNATIONAL COALITIONS (page 117) 8. DIFFUSION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF NATIONAL COALITIONS (page 131) Part Five The Search for Ideational Pathways 9. ALTERNATIVES FOR THE AMERICAS (page 155) 10. TRANSNATIONAL COLLECTIVE ACTION IN DYNAMIC POLITICAL CONTEXTS (page 176) 11. CONCLUSIONS: AGENCY, NETWORKS, AND COLLECTIVE ACTION (page 190) Main Abbreviations Used (page 201) Appendix A: Lists of Interviews (page 207) Appendix B: Social Network Questionnaire (United States) (page 219) Bibliography (page 235) Index (page 251) Machine generated contents note: Part I. Civil Society Organizations and their Pathways to Transnationality: 1. Introduction; 2. Multiple pathways to transnationality; Part II. The Politicization of Trade: 3. The contentious nature of trade debates; 4. New regionalism in the Americas; Part III. The Dynamics of Networks: 5. Trade protest networks; 6. The origins and dynamics of trade challengers' networks; Part IV. Organizational Pathways to Transnationality: 7. The creation and demise of transnational coalitions; 8. Diffusion and differentiation of national coalitions; Part V. The Search for Ideational Pathways: 9. Alternatives for the Americas; 10. Transnational collective action in dynamic political contexts; 11. Conclusions: agency, networks, and collective action; Appendix A: lists of interviews; Appendix B: social network questionnaire (United States). Shows how a broad group of civil society organizations came together to contest free trade negotiations in the Americas. Based on research in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, the United States, and Canada, it offers a full hemispheric view of civil society networks as they engaged in the politics of trade.