Contentions within globalisation

Repertoires of contention have had a significant effect on many if not all political environments. Forms of revolutions continually change and progress, however, in an age of technological advance this change and progress is not just based on political institutions but outside forces like media coverage. Progress and change in the time from the Bolshevik revolutions to the color revolutions has been a decline in violence and a dependence on foreign governments. This can arguably be a reaction to globalisation and the rise in communication technology (not to mention the influence of political actors such as Gandhi). An international media inturn means that every event contains a certain amount of media awareness, in the sense that actors in this event will realise that if it is large it will receive media attention. It is media attention and representation that is arguably a major reason for non-violent protest becoming a more viable option than violent protest. A revolutions media coverage will inturn shape international views on the event, and in a globalised world when international support is necessary it is important to be shown in the right light. A recent example of this is the coverage of the ‘red shirt’ protests in Thailand’s capital of Bangkok. Red shirt protesters are being represented as the ‘victims’ of violence from the army and government forces. Being represented in this light instead of violent ‘terrorists’ increases re shirts international support and the support of foreign governments for example. With globalisation the barriers of the nation state are fast being transcended, instead being replaced a media represent world, especially with the tendency to sensationalize, revolutions need to be seen as the victim not the aggressor is paramount, hence the adoption of non violent protest.