Individual Presentation or Panel Title

Transforming Perceptions of the WTO: Anti-Globalization Efforts to Resist Corporate Globalization

Abstract

Corporate Globalization is a phenomena that influences and arguably controls international economy and trade. Like all things that control society, there is bound to be a counter-organization or ideology that protests the status quo. The Anti-Globalization Movement is a loosely structured social movement that rejects Corporate Globalization and the status of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the overseer of international trade policy, health regulations, amongst many other influences. By applying methods of rhetorical criticism, I examine Lori Wallach's and Michelle Sforza's pamphlet, “The WTO: Five years of reasons to resist corporate globalization,” and its rhetorical function to humanize the WTO into a tangible, punishable problem that the American public can resist and prosecute. The results conclude that the authors' use of language and accusatory tone to emphasize the negative effects of the WTO's power allows the audience to become skeptical and cynical towards its existence. Implications of this study suggest the ability to transform public perceptions of the effects of global trade under the advisement of the WTO. Further studies may conclude more precise methods to constructing and analyzing anti-corporate propaganda, social movement strategies to generate social unrest, and the social importance of examining rhetorical functions of persuasive texts.

Presenter Information

Zoe Newman, Hollins University

Location

Rathskeller

Start Date

21-4-2012 3:30 PM

End Date

21-4-2012 4:20 PM

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Apr 21st, 3:30 PM Apr 21st, 4:20 PM

Transforming Perceptions of the WTO: Anti-Globalization Efforts to Resist Corporate Globalization

Rathskeller

Corporate Globalization is a phenomena that influences and arguably controls international economy and trade. Like all things that control society, there is bound to be a counter-organization or ideology that protests the status quo. The Anti-Globalization Movement is a loosely structured social movement that rejects Corporate Globalization and the status of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the overseer of international trade policy, health regulations, amongst many other influences. By applying methods of rhetorical criticism, I examine Lori Wallach's and Michelle Sforza's pamphlet, “The WTO: Five years of reasons to resist corporate globalization,” and its rhetorical function to humanize the WTO into a tangible, punishable problem that the American public can resist and prosecute. The results conclude that the authors' use of language and accusatory tone to emphasize the negative effects of the WTO's power allows the audience to become skeptical and cynical towards its existence. Implications of this study suggest the ability to transform public perceptions of the effects of global trade under the advisement of the WTO. Further studies may conclude more precise methods to constructing and analyzing anti-corporate propaganda, social movement strategies to generate social unrest, and the social importance of examining rhetorical functions of persuasive texts.