Municipalism and Feminism Movements Quiz

Social Movements

• European social movements in recent decades have strategically organized based on the political context of the issue.
• The Global Justice Movement, visible globally (Seattle 1999), fostered a network of activists in Europe, uniting despite diverse backgrounds in a struggle towards global justice. Counter-summit demonstrations (2000-2001) and the European Social Forum (2002) were organized.
• The movement was criticized by some purists for parallel forums starting in 2004.
• This movement was significant for socializing a political grassroots and raising issues that later became central to other movements.
• Contesting austerity and free trade after the 2008 financial crisis created a tension between national and supranational levels of action. The role of the EU as a political actor was also contested, especially around labor market flexibilization and austerity measures.
• The Mayday Parade (2001) became a transnational action, quickly spreading across 19 countries by 2005 and 22 by 2006, capitalizing on the network formed via the GJM.
• The early 2010s saw movements against austerity measures infringing on national sovereignty. These participants were mostly middle-class people in their 20s, along with workers and unemployed, from diverse age groups.

Nationalism

• Two main schools of thought: primordialist (essentialist) and modernist (instrumentalist).
• Primordialists believe in the antiquity of nations, emphasizing essential ethnic cores.
• Modernists view nations as modern constructs resulting from processes like industrialization. This perspective emphasizes the constructed nature of nations rather than their inherent existence.
• Smith's concept of "ethnie" (named human populations) plays a crucial role in primordialism and nationalism, emphasizing the role of shared ancestry, myths, histories, and cultures. This concept evolved over time, transitioning from ancient/medieval times, where ethnicity was extremely important to individuals, to modernity where nationalism became a way of constructing identities and ideologies.
• Civic nationalism emphasizes bureaucratic incorporation of ethnies, usually associated with the state, e.g., France, Spain, and UK.
• Ethnic nationalism relies on intelligentsia, shaping histories, language, myths, and symbols to construct national identities.
• Immigrant nations, by contrast, form from immigrants where often earlier groups are excluded.
• There is contention on how to define nationalism and the relationship between ethnicity and nationhood;
• Kohn's dichotomy of “good” Western (civic) nationalism and “bad” Eastern (ethnic) nationalism is critiqued for mischaracterizing differences.

Civic Nationalism, Ethnic Nation, Immigrant Nation

• Civic nationalism (West Europe): bureaucracy incorporates loose ethnies into a territory, with a focus on wealth management.
• Ethnic nation (East Europe): intelligentsia frames nationhood around ethno-histories, language, myths, and symbols.
• Immigrant nation (Canada, Australia, US): nations built from immigrants, often excluding earlier inhabitants and emphasizing a pioneering spirit.

Industrialization, Mass Education

• Industrialization created new urban populations, who needed new ways of understanding and building communities.
• Mass education led to social conflict as industrialization caused social stratification.
• Nationalism was created/created a sense of divide between previously homogeneous communities.
• Nationalism was not always successful in bringing all people within a culture or nation together.
• Cultural identities can be created and defined in relation to one another.

Nationalism as a Global Phenomenon

• Nationalism, linked to industrialization and colonialism, shaped global political dynamics.
• Nations were instrumentalized in colonial struggles to gain independence in non-European parts of the world.
• In recent centuries, nations and national movements played crucial roles in colonial struggles and anti-colonial struggles.

Nationalism and the State

• Nationalism's relationship to the state is complex and multi-faceted.
• National identities can develop around shared historical narratives and cultural values.
• These narratives can be consciously constructed and used in political mobilization.
• The process of creating nations and states can sometimes be violent or conflictual as nations and states struggle to define and enforce the boundaries of their territories.

Theories of Nation and Nationalism (with a Focus on Harris, Gellner, and Kohn)

• Harris: Offers two main schools on theories of nation and nationalism: primordialist and modernist.
• Gellner: Focuses on nationalism being the modern solution to the need for shaping industrial society.
• Kohn: Proposes a dichotomy of good Western nationalism (civic) and bad Eastern nationalism (ethnic), widely critiqued for oversimplification and Eurocentric bias.

Citizenship and Belonging

• Gradual liberalization and denationalization of citizenship laws are notable, moving away from explicit discrimination based on ethnicity or origin towards inclusion and rights for immigrants.
• Citizenship is increasingly viewed as adaptable through multiple forms of citizenship.
• This trend has intensified through migration crises and geopolitical challenges, creating new norms for citizenship to evolve over time.
• The EU has tried to harmonize the different ways in which member states define their idea of citizenship.

Sovereignty

• Medieval/early modern model: sovereignty fragmented. A sovereign (individual or group) held ultimate power within a specific territory.
• Post-Westphalia: the state becomes a key unit and the principle of non-intervention between states emerges.
• Neo-liberal globalisation further denationalized political power by challenging the concept of national sovereignty.
• Liquid sovereignty = the shift from a fixed and territorial idea of sovereignty towards one that is perpetual and global, shifting with the times.

Sovereignty and Globalization

• Relationship between sovereignty and globalization is complex, with fluctuating interactions that depend on how it is viewed.
• States' ability to manage and control immigration is often challenged and altered due to changing geopolitical conditions and forces.
• The EU has tried to make collective solutions in the area of migration and asylum.

Migration

• Migration studies encompass internal and international migration, including diverse forms of migration such as, planned, forced, and flight migration.
• Migrants and migration-related diversity are important factors in studies.
• Key factors of conceptualisation: individual vs. contextual reasons, rate vs. incidence, temporary vs. permanent, settler vs. labor, planned vs. flight, economic migrant vs. refugee, legal vs. illegal
• There are many challenges to address regarding migration and migration policies, including the debate on who is a migrant or refugee, and how to manage them.

Colonialism

• Said's concept of Orientalism: a way of coming to terms with the Orient in European experience, a style of thought distinguishing the Orient from the Occident and a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.
• The production of knowledge is linked to power dynamics.
• There is a hierarchical distinction between "the West" and "the Orient"
• Postcolonialism challenges existing power dynamics and knowledge systems by re-evaluating the history and narratives surrounding colonialism and its legacies.
• Fanon's work (on decolonization) highlights the struggles of native communities, often reduced to the status of 'objects' without agency.

Heritage

• Heritage is a contested concept that involves negotiation and political struggles, not only encompassing material items but also cultural practices, experiences, and narratives.
• This concept challenges the notion of heritage as solely an objective entity with fixed values and meanings.
• How communities participate in selecting, preserving, and reinterpreting heritage is central to its creation.

Memory and Heritage

• Heritage is also about memories and cultural contexts.
• Memory and historical narratives are intertwined, and they become a resource for building, shaping and interpreting heritage and identity.
• Dissonance in heritage narratives highlights how different perspectives and experiences affect how heritage is presented, and understood.

Contemporary Challenges

• Crises (refugee, financial, democratic, etc.) prompt reflection and rethinking of European identity and values.
• Both populist movements and citizen-led protests play crucial roles.
• There are many challenges and opportunities for Europe to define itself within these political and socio-economic challenges.

Explore the key concepts and movements related to municipalism and feminism. This quiz covers various topics, including the opposition to free trade agreements, the evolution of feminist thought, and the implications of heritage discourse. Test your knowledge on these critical social movements today!