'a provocative must-read text for an engaged public, offering a distinctive Australian take on corporate globalism, and grounding this in a robust theory of social change that emphasises material power and interests, along with symbolic power and ideology' James Goodman, University of Technology Sydney Social movements transformed Western societies in the 1960s and 1970s: feminism, black rights, the peace movement and gay liberation all radically altered how we think and how we live. What has happened to social movements since then? Can demonstrations and other forms of social activism still make a difference in Australia? Verity Burgmann argues that corporate globalisation has threatened or transformed established social movements, and sparked powerful new forms of social protest. She examines the impact of globalisation and neo-liberal government policies on the feminist and indigenous rights movements, showing how they have been affected by the politics of backlash after decades of success. She explores the way in which the environment movement, too, has been affected by rising corporate political influence. She also analyses the emergence of anti-capitalist and anti-corporate activism and the profound challenges posed by this newest of social movements to the state, to society in general and to the labour movement in particular. These important factors in a changing political landscape. This book reflects on the significant changes which has taken place since Power and Protest was published in 1993.

'a provocative must-read text for an engaged public, offering a distinctive Australian take on corporate globalism, and grounding this in a robust theory of social change that emphasises material power and interests, along with symbolic power and ideology'James Goodman, University of Technology SydneySocial movements transformed Western societies in the 1960s and 1970s: feminism, black rights, the peace movement and gay liberation all radically altered how we think and how we live. What has happened to social movements since then? Can demonstrations and other forms of social activism still make a difference in Australia?Verity Burgmann argues that corporate globalisation has threatened or transformed established social movements, and sparked powerful new forms of social protest. She examines the impact of globalisation and neo-liberal government policies on the feminist and indigenous rights movements, showing how they have been affected by the politics of backlash after decades of success. She explores the way in which the environment movement, too, has been affected by rising corporate political influence. She also analyses the emergence of anti-capitalist and anti-corporate activism and the profound challenges posed by this newest of social movements to the state, to society in general and to the labour movement in particular. hese important factors in a changing political landscape. This book reflects on the significant changes which has taken place since Power and Protest was published in 1993.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.tandfebooks.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license.Globalization has adversely affected working-class organization and mobilization, increasing inequality by redistribution upwards from labour to capital. However, workers around the world are challenging their increased exploitation by globalizing corporations. In developed countries, many unions are transforming themselves to confront employer power in ways more appropriate to contemporary circumstances; in developing countries, militant new labour movements are emerging. Drawing upon insights in anti-determinist Marxian perspectives, Verity Burgmann shows how working-class resistance is not futile, as protagonists of globalization often claim. She identifies eight characteristics of globalization harmful to workers and describes and analyses how they have responded collectively to these problems since 1990 and especially this century. With case studies from around the world, including Greece since 2008, she pays particular attention to new types of labour movement organization and mobilization that are not simply defensive reactions but are offensive and innovative responses that compel corporations or political institutions to change. Aging and less agile manifestations of the labour movement decline while new expressions of working-class organization and mobilization arise to better battle with corporate globalization. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of labour studies, globalization, political economy, Marxism and sociology of work.

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in Australia are better known for the stories told about them than for any document historical significance. Renowned for their audacity and hooliganism the 'Wobblies' were particularly notorious for their active opposition to World War I. This landmark book conveys the vitality and drama of Wobbly activity, and also assesses the impact of the IWW on Australian political and labour history. Drawing from an impressive range of sources, Verity Burgmann writes with vigour and passion about Wobbly culture, and describes their doctrines, methods and organisation. The book highlights the unique nature of the IWW in Australia, and traces Wobbly influence in much post-war activity. Now, with the widespread collapse of communism and the inadequacies of labour parties, the IWW, as an alternative form of revolutionary working-class politics, merits renewed investigation.

Alike in many aspects of their histories, Australia and the United States diverge in striking ways when it comes to their working classes, labor relations, and politics. Greg Patmore and Shelton Stromquist curate innovative essays that use transnational and comparative analysis to explore the two nations' differences. The contributors examine five major areas: World War I's impact on labor and socialist movements; the history of coerced labor; patterns of ethnic and class identification; forms of working-class collective action; and the struggles related to trade union democracy and independent working-class politics. Throughout, many essays highlight how hard-won transnational ties allowed Australians and Americans to influence each other's trade union and political cultures. Contributors: Robin Archer, Nikola Balnave, James R. Barrett, Bradley Bowden, Verity Burgmann, Robert Cherny, Peter Clayworth, Tom Goyens, Dianne Hall, Benjamin Huf, Jennie Jeppesen, Marjorie A. Jerrard, Jeffrey A. Johnson, Diane Kirkby, Elizabeth Malcolm, Patrick O'Leary, Greg Patmore, Scott Stephenson, Peta Stevenson-Clarke, Shelton Stromquist, and Nathan Wise