Middle class activism in China, India and Brazil?

A new column by Peter Konijn

Tags: Worldwide , Civil Society Building

A gradually expanding wave of middle class activism is spreading across the emerging powers. Development organizations could do more with its transformative potential, argues Peter Konijn, director of the Emerging powers programme in this new column.

Thousands of people joined anti-corruption demonstrations on the  street on Independence Day (September 7) in Brazil. Since June when  Dilma Rousseff became president, four ministers resigned or were sacked   on charges of corruption. The demonstrations resemble the mass protests   in India in favour of a strong anti-corruption law, headed by Anna   Hazare. In China too, thousands of protesters went to the streets and   demanded the closure of a damaged chemical plant in the northeastern   port of Dalian. After succeeding in closing down the chemical plant in  mid August, the protesters in Dalian demonstrated against river   pollution by a solar plant just a month later.Are these isolated events  or expressions of new middle class activism? The Economist believes  the latter and even quotes Marx saying: “historically [the  bourgeoisie]  played a most revolutionary part in Europe”. So can we  expect a middle  class revolution in China, India and Brazil?

Not really.To date,  middle class activism has been limited in scope. It aims to  reform but  not overthrow the current political system. Yet, the  demonstrations  show the cracks in the silent agreement between the  middle classes and  the ruling elites: ‘if we prosper and benefit from  economic growth, we  won’t question politics’. Although the political systems of China, India  and Brazil are very different, to state the  obvious, the acquiescence  of the middle class was very similar. While  the middle class kept quiet  and to itself, the ruling elites ruled and  stayed in power. As long as  both sides benefitted from the equation it  worked. However its growing  numbers has boosted the self-confidence of  the middle class to the  point that it is starting to make political demands that may upset the  political system. It is a silent revolution that erupts around issues of  corruption and health-threatening pollution. These issues directly  affect the middle classes that have to pay bribes and live near the  polluted areas.When the political system  is unable to curb the  corruption and pollution, it is challenged by new middle class  activism.    

There is little attention to the role of the middle  class in most of  the theories of social change used by development  organisations. The  emphasis is squarely on the position and agency of  the poor. The  strategies aim to empower and capacitate the poor to  claim their rights  and behave as social or economic entrepreneurs. The  middle class is seen  as neutral at best and as a co-conspirator with  the powers at worst. And unfortunately in many countries the  worst-case scenario prevailed for a long time.The middle class took  care of itself and  didn’t bother with widespread poverty and injustice.

The  examples of anti-corruption and pollution demonstrations  mentioned  above may indicate that this situation is changing.  The  middle class  may realign their interests away from the current political  systems  that are unable to deliver decent government services without corruption  or safe, healthy living conditions. Mind you, nothing is  certain. The  social activism of the middle class may be contained by the  ruling  elites that fear disruption and loss of power. However something  is  happening.Thousands of people are on the streets of the cities of   China, India and Brazil.  Development organizations should be flexible   and adjust their theories and pay more attention to the transformative   potential of middle class activism and connect to it. This is a  promising development with possible global impact. Like I argued in the   previous column ‘Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption struggle’, the internal   struggles over social justice and poverty in the emerging powers   resonate all over the world. Willingly our not, emerging powers have   become role models for development and the outside world better take more notice.

Peter Konijn, director Knowing Emerging Powers.