Final answer:
Occupy Wall Street was a significant protest against financial inequality with slogans like "We are the 99%" that had little legislative impact. The movement's failure to enact change could contradict a chapter suggesting social movements are effective in policy change. Global concern about financial inequality extended beyond the U.S., with criticisms of the WTO's opaque practices being prevalent.
Step-by-step explanation:
Protests against global financial institutions, such as Occupy Wall Street, highlighted public discontent with financial inequality and corporate influence on politics following the 2008-2009 recession. Occupy Wall Street criticized the greed and financial corruption of banks, which they believed contributed to the recession. They rallied behind slogans like "We are the 99%," asserting representation for the majority against the top 1% of wealth holders. While the movement managed to spread its message globally, the protests resulted in little to no effect on legislative changes, which could be seen as a contradiction if the chapter suggests that such social movements are typically effective in enacting policy change.
In addition to Occupy Wall Street, there were global concerns about the financial sector's role in economic inequality. Protesters often decried the World Trade Organization's (WTO) undemocratic structures and called for policies that prioritized human advancement over material acquisition. This stemmed from a broader pattern of unwillingness to confront issues with struggling banks across different parts of the world, including Japan, East Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Russia, and elsewhere.