Local justice organizing in post-Katrina New Orleans: A first world case of community opposition to globalization
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
;supervisor: Foran, John
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
University of California, Santa Barbara: United States -- California
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
: 2010
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
520 pages
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
Ph.D.
Body granting the degree
, University of California, Santa Barbara: United States -- California
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, two paths emerged in the rebuilding of New Orleans; one was from above and the other from below. This study focuses on the agency of the latter and its opposition to the former. Local justice organizing in post-Katrina New Orleans provides an opportunity to empirically examine opposition to processes of globalization in a First World setting. The analysis relies on local multi-site ethnographic field research done between fall 2007 and summer 2008. The three sites of investigation are the Lower Ninth Ward, the anti-demolition public housing campaign, and immigrant Latino labor organizing.The central sociological purpose of this study is to examine the role of race and culture in local justice organizing in an era of global integration. To address this I turn to theories and concepts drawn from the work of John Foran (political cultures of opposition), Michael Omi and Howard Winant (racial formations), and William I. Robinson (globalization) to introduce a new model that synthesizes and integrates their theories of globalization, race, and culture during social struggle. In the Lower Ninth Ward, organizing strategies were divided between white non-local volunteers and African American residents. In public housing, a very broad coalition that emerged in late fall 2007 undertook a vigorous campaign to stop demolitions under an internationalized human rights framework. Immigrant Latino labor organizing responded to anti-immigrant sentiments with non-violent strategies while advocates used service provision as an organizing tool to raise awareness and develop stronger labor justice campaigns. Overall, negative experiences with the rebuilding movement from above elicited strong emotions and ideas of justice that led individuals to become part of local justice organizations. The study traces the formation/origins of these diverse and fragile coalitions, documenting their internal difficulties and external hardships as well as their visions and occasional victories through a precise and evocative narrative analysis based on the interactions and conversations of their members and followers.