Protest Resonances across the Global South: Democratic Deficit, Inequality and Indignity

Abstract

Abstract During the first two decades of the 21st century, protest has emerged as part of a normalised repertoire of political participation employed by citizens world-over. In the Global South, protests have seen both scale and impact, centring on a range of short- and long-term grievances, and making calls for political and economic change. This article conducts a cross-regional comparative analysis of contentious action in the Global South, drawing out some of the thematic and substantive parallels that might help us better understand the drivers of protest since the 2000s. Drawing on a range of protest data, media sources and secondary analysis, it focuses in particular on protest in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Making use of the wealth of existing protest literature, the article moves beyond a national or regional analysis to highlight the ways in which protest drivers and underpinnings in various locations of the South may resonate with the region’s broader wave of post-2000 protest. The article posits that the drivers of protest can be linked to three overarching themes: democratic deficit and (ine)quality of representation; neoliberalism and expanding inequality; and concerns of citizenship, dignity and inclusion. Underpinning these identifiable themes is the prevalence of experiences of popular exclusion. The article also foregrounds calls for ‘dignity’ as central to understanding the demands and drivers of protest. It is hoped that this initial survey will contribute to further attempts to understand contentious action through an increasingly global lens.