Jackie Smith attended the 2001 and 2005 World Social Forums in Brazil, and “more local and regional forums than I can count.” Each time she observes the eclectic, passionate proceedings as a sociologist, and also immerses herself as a social activist.
     
Smith, who is organizing a fall Kroc Institute workshop on the World Social Forums movement, believes this “participant observation research” enhances her scholarship. It also gives her a chance to make a difference in the world and to provide a role model for her students. “In our day-to-day work at the university, it’s hard to actually do anything about the problems we study. But to understand how social change happens, the researcher really has to try to do some of the work that activists and practitioners do.”
     
Smith earned both her master’s in peace studies and doctorate in international relations at the University of Notre Dame, where she is a member of the Kroc Institute faculty and an associate professor of sociology. She is known for her research on the transnational dimensions of social movements, exploring ways in which global economic and political integration has influenced how people engage in politics. Her forthcoming book is Changing the World: Struggles for Global Democracy. She has co-edited three books on the subject: Coalitions Across Borders: Transnational Protest in a Neoliberal Era (with Joe Bandy); Globalization and Resistance: Transnational Dimensions of Social Movements (with Hank Johnston); and Transnational Social Movements and Global Politics: Solidarity Beyond the State (with Charles Chatfield and Ron Pagnucco).
   
Smith is an active member of the group Sociologists Without Borders. At the recent Midwest Social Forum in Milwaukee, she co-organized a workshop to help develop an international and multidisciplinary network of scholars to promote the World Social Forum agenda.
     
She is organizing scholars from around the United States, Canada, and Mexico to expand WSF research. This Social Forums Working Group aims to build upon the research being done in Europe under the leadership of Professor Donatella della Porta (see http://demos.iue.it/). The European group has conducted surveys and focus groups to evaluate the impact of social forum participation in different national contexts and across time, resulting in the book Globalization from Below: Transnational Protest and Activist Networks. Smith’s research program will generate similar studies in North America. Initial findings will be presented at meetings of the International Studies Association and American Sociological Association in 2007.
     
The Social Forums Working Group will meet at the Hesburgh Center for International Studies this fall. Two public events are scheduled. On November 9, a panel of experts and local organizers will explore the challenges of connecting local organizing work to global analyses and political processes. On November 10, there will be a presentation on della Porta’s research, along with an analysis of the broader political ramifications of the World Social Forum process. Professor della Porta will participate via video conference from Florence, Italy, and one of her colleagues will be in South Bend to address questions about their research.
     
Details of the November events will be posted in the “events” section of the Kroc Institute web site, http://kroc.nd.edu.