Global Civil Society? Transnational Social Movement Organizations and Social Capital

The growth of international political and economic institutions has both facilitated and demanded cooperation among social change activists from different countries, contributing to the rapid expansion of transnationally organized social movements. But to what extent do these increasingly visible movements manifest a “global civil society”? Do transnational social movement organizations (TSMOs) help cultivate the social capital relevant to a politically engaged global civil society? Building on Minkoff's analysis of national SMOs, this article argues that TSMOs contribute to the formation of social capital that is relevant to the global political order, even if these organizations do not generate routine, face-to-face contact among members. They do so by providing an infrastructure that facilitates transnational communication and action, by cultivating transnational identities, and by developing a global public discourse. This analysis of the role of social movements in the global polity relates to more general debates on civil society and democracy