The master frames of transnational mobilizations

In the previous chapters the main contextual conditions and agency-related features of transnational activism have been examined. In this chapter the focus is more specifically on the ideational dimension of civil society activities. As argued earlier, the moment of framing remains central in the politics of norm change and, as a consequence, is key in order to appreciate fully the political significance of transnational activism and its multiple impacts. In the literature, framing is a much-studied aspect of contentious politics. However, the actual content of the process of framing, especially when occurring at the transnational level, is seldom unfolded in a satisfactory way. With this chapter, which constitutes the theoretical core of the present study, the content of the main frameworks for transnational activism are analyzed. They are examined in relation to the phenomenon of globalization and taken as central elements for a full understanding of transnational activism. There are, of course, many frames and master frames used by CSOs’ actors at the transnational level. This chapter presents the three arguably most important points of reference in the political debate on the future of global politics: the model of cosmopolitanism, the model of localism, and the model of civilizationism.