Week 11: The emergence of private authority: case study of the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in global governance
This week we look more closely at the issue of private authority in global governance. As we know from earlier in the course, these private actors include – but are not limited to – market actors, NGOs, transnational criminal networks, and other forms of private institutions which can exercise authority.
To explore the issue of private authority in some depth, we address one type of private actor – the civil society organisation (CSO) – that seeks to plug governance gaps and to improve the transparency of globalization and its governing processes, as well as to encourage better public representation in the formal channels of global governance. We also investigate how at NGOs, a subset of CSOs, and at the role of ‘transnational advocacy networks’ in helping to influence the actors, processes and practices of global governance.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this week, students should be able to:
• Outline some of the ways in which private actors can exercise authority in global governance;
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of how CSOs can seek to influence global governance;
• Show an awareness of the differences between CSOs and NGOs and their roles in advocacy groups (such as transnational social movements);
• Critically assess CSOs as a mechanism for influencing global decision-making in practice.
Essential readings:
Hall, R. and T. Bierstaker (2002) ‘The Emergence of Private Authority in the International System’, in R. hall and T. Bierstaker (eds) The Emergence of Private Authority in Global Governance, Cambridge University Press, 3-22, downloadable at http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam033/2002023443.pdf
Scholte, J. A. (2018) ‘Civil society and NGOs’, in in Weiss, Thomas G. and Wilkinson, Rorden, eds., International organization and global governance (London and New York: Routledge), chapter 25.
Keck, M. E. and Sikkink, K. (1998), ‘Transnational advocacy network and international and regional politics’, URL: http://courses.washington.edu/pbaf531/KeckSikkink.pdf. This text is based on Keck and Sikkink’s work in Keck. M and K. Sikkink, Activists Beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP.
Kalm, S., Strömbom, L. and Uhlin, A. (2019) ‘Civil society
