by jesse on
Jun 06, 2008 at 10:40 am
Article: Discursive legacies: The U.S. peace movement and “support the troops.” Social Problems, May 2008
Summary: Supporting the troops has become ubiquitous. Gone are the contentious relations between Vietnam-era protesters and returning troops, as accusations of murder have given way to “support the troops, bring them home” bumper stickers. Coy, Woehrle, and Maney look at how peace movements have “developed an elaborated ‘discourse of betrayal’ by redefining what it means to support the troops.” By employing “proactive, anticipatory discourses,” the peace movement has attempted to side-step questions of patriotism by a redefinition of what it means to truly support the troops. The article demonstrates that movement discourses and rhetoric are simultaneously stable and flexible, and are highly influenced by contemporary politics and cultural constraints.
by ryan on
Jan 17, 2008 at 11:25 am
Article: Spillover or Spillout? The Global Justice Movement in the United States After 9/11. Mobilization, December 2007
Summary: Global Justice activism declined in the U.S. after 9/11 not because activism was down but because: 1. there was a more repressive atmosphere in the U.S.; 2. a politically inspired linkage between global terrorism and transnational activism of all kinds; and 3. social movement spillout.
Spillout is defined as “the hollowing-out of a social movement when its activists shift their activities to a cognate, but differently structured, movement.” 360.
The authors argue “the shift of activism from global justice to the antiwar movement, which we term ‘social movement spillout,’ is the most important reason for the decline of the former movement.” 371 In fact, “many of the groups who participated in global justice protests eventually reappeared in peace demonstrations, and many others turned their attention into electoral politics.” 371
The idea of spillout is a positive theoretical contribution mapping the shifts of activist energy between movements.