Egalitarian Politics in the Age of Globalization (International Political Economy Series)

In recent years women's movements and democracy movements appear to have been more successful in promoting social equality than labour movements or development movements. Wage gaps between men and women have narrowed. New democracies have flourished. Yet, gaps between the rich and poor remain. Do differences in organization and strategy account for the differences in outcomes? Through in-depth studies of the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Africa, China, and north- and southeast Asia the contributors to this volume provide some thought provoking answers. "Global issues have become an increasingly vital part of environmental debates. They are closely interrelated with problems at local levels. In this wide-ranging study, Robert Boardman argues that investigation of environmental issues raises complex theoretical questions, and requires more sustained links between the natural and social sciences.". "In a closely integrated account of problems in critical ecological theory, Boardman draws extensively on current research in sociology, ecology, economics, the earth sciences and other disciplines. He suggests that ideas from these can be used to expand attention to and the understanding of environmental issues in international relations and international political economy, as well as in social theory more generally.". "The discussion identifies five main theoretical bases for these tasks. These are ecology and earth-system science; constructionist approaches; environmental ethics; micro-level research, particularly perspectives based on rational expectations and on agency; and governance. Connections among these are examined in the context of debates on economics globlization and ecological transformation."--BOOK JACKET. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction: Globalization and the Double-Movement Hypothesis....Pages 1-6 Class, Gender and the Politics of Neoliberal Globalization in the USA....Pages 7-35 Egalitarian Social Movements in Western Europe: Can They Survive Globalization and the Economic and Monetary Union?....Pages 36-50 Latin America in an Age of Inequality: Confronting the New ‘Utopia’....Pages 51-76 Engendering Change through Egalitarian Movements: The African Experience....Pages 77-95 Egalitarian Responses in Postcommunist Russia....Pages 96-123 Nonsocial Movements and Social Nonmovements in China....Pages 124-144 Capital, Crisis and Chaos: Indonesia and Malaysia in a Globalizing Era....Pages 145-173 Migrant Workers’ Movements in Japan and South Korea....Pages 174-204 Conclusion: Pinpointing the Significance of Women’s Empowerment, Recognizing Political Opportunities, Anticipating Transnational Coalitions....Pages 205-211 Back Matter....Pages 212-248 Internationally the trade union movement is finding itself peripheralized by a series of mutually reinforcing processes - the ongoing world economic crisis; the uneven transition from an industrial to an information and service capitalism; the aggressive policies of neoliberalism; the collapse of communism and radical nationalism; the decline of the social-democratic or labour tradition - and by a globalization that undermines the nation-state to which union hopes have long been pinned. The editors argue that this crisis provides an opportunity for labour to recover or reinvent itself. They see this in terms of a labour response to the waves of energy coming from the new global social movements (women, ecology, human rights/democracy, and so on). "Women's movements and democracy movements appear to have been more successful in promoting social equality than labour movements or development movements. Wage gaps between men and women have narrowed. New democracies have flourished. Yet gaps between the rich and poor remain. Do differences in organization and strategy account for the differences in outcomes? Through in-depth studies of the USA, Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Africa, China, and North- and Southeast Asia, the contributors to this volume provide some thought-provoking answers. Book jacket."--Jacket The authors examine various aspects of Japanese financial markets. This analysis is interspersed with the relevant institutional/historical background on Japanese financial markets necessary for the non-specialist. Principal chapters include: an institutional overview; a chapter on the comparative costs of capital (both internationally and among Japanese firms); causes and implications of the high degree of financial intermediation in Japan; and an invaluable analysis of the most recent trends in the Japanese/Asian financial markets "Many in South Africa have begun to cope with globalization, regionalization, a depleting ozone layer, new disease, rampant militarization, and structures of influence like race, class, and gender. In this book scholars present a wide variety of thoughts on the future of the region and the place of theory in helping us to understand the array of events characterizing the early 21st-century world."--Jacket In recent years women's movements and democracy movements appear to have been more successful in promoting social equality than labour movements or development movements. outcomes? Through in-depth case studies the contributors to this volume provide some thought provoking answers Written in the context of contemporary theoretical debate in international political economy, this book overturns a number of myths about the political economy of trade in one of the oldest areas of industry. Yvon Grenier ; Foreword By Mitchell A. Seligson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 215-218) And Index.