The Zapatista movement and Mexico's democratic transition : mobilization, success, and survival / María Inclán.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Inclán, María de la Luz, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Mexico).

Social movements--Mexico--Chiapas--Case studies.

Social movements.

Democracy--Mexico--History.

Democracy.

Democratization--Mexico.

Democratization.

History.

Mexico.

Mexico--Politics and government--1988-2000.

Politics and government.

Mexico--Politics and government--2000-.

Mexico--Chiapas.

Genre:

Case studies.

History.

Physical Description:

xiv, 166 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2018]

Summary:

"Transitions from authoritarian to democratic governments can provide ripe scenarios for the emergence of new, insurgent political actors and causes. In peaceful transitions such movements may become influential political players and gain representation for previously neglected interests and sectors of the population. But for this to happen insurgent social movements need both opportunities for mobilization and opportunities to succeed and survive. What happens to insurgent social movements that emerge during a democratic transition but fail to achieve their goals? How influential are they? To answer these questions, Maria Inclan looks at Mexico's Zapatista movement, whose emergence she argues was caught between 'sliding doors' of mobilization opportunity. The Zapatistas were able to mobilize sympathy and support for the indigenous agenda inside and outside of the country, yet failed to achieve their goals vis-à-vis the Mexican state. Nevertheless, the movement has survived and sustained its autonomy despite lacking legal recognition. Inclan examines the vitality of the movement during various tests of the emergent democracy (during more competitive elections, under various political parties, and amid various repressive measures). She also looks at state responsiveness to movement demands and the role of transnational networks in the movement's survival. She extends these into a more general test of the quality of young democracies, to identify the extent to which emerging political forces incorporate dissident and previously excluded political actors into democratic polities"-- Provided by publisher.

"Transitions from authoritarian to democratic governments can provide ripe scenarios for the emergence of new, insurgent political actors and causes. In peaceful transitions such movements may become influential political players and gain representation for previously neglected interests and sectors of the population. But for this to happen insurgent social movements need both opportunities for mobilization and opportunities to succeed and survive. What happens to insurgent social movements that emerge during a democratic transition but fail to achieve their goals? How influential are they? To answer these questions, Maria Inclan looks at Mexico's Zapatista movement, whose emergence she argues was caught between 'sliding doors' of mobilization opportunity. The Zapatistas were able to mobilize sympathy and support for the indigenous agenda inside and outside of the country, yet failed to achieve their goalsvis-à-vis the Mexican state. Nevertheless, the movement has survived and sustained its autonomy despite lacking legal recognition. Inclan examines the vitality of the movement during various tests of the emergent democracy (during more competitive elections, under various political parties, and amid various repressive measures). She also looks at state responsiveness to movement demands and the role of transnational networks in the movement's survival. She extends these into a more general test of the quality of young democracies, to identify the extent to which emerging political forces incorporate dissident and previously excluded political actors into democratic polities"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Democratic transitions and political opportunities

Opportunities for mobilization : Openings, elites, allies, and threats

Opportunities for success : negotiations, elites, and allies

Opportunities for survival : transnational solidarity networks and discourse framing

Zapatistas between sliding doors of opportunities.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Inclán, María de la Luz. Between the sliding doors of opportunity.

ISBN:

9780190869465

0190869461

OCLC:

1038021648