Keywords
Environmental movement, environmental crisis, environmental policy
Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Movement is facing a paradox: increased mobilization over the last 100 years has not been entirely effective in halting environmental degradation. This research suggests that discourse divisions among environmental movement organizations constitute a fundamental obstacle to progressive change. The discourse divisions are evident in movement organizing patterns during periods of increased environmental crisis over the history of the modern environmental movement. In addition, evidence suggests that federal environmental policy is an outcome of increased organizing among movement organizations with more transformative visions of change. However, policy outcomes from increased pressure among transformative organizations are significantly correlated with Republican presidential administrations lending evidence to the idea that policy reform is a moderating strategy employed to silence radical change-makers. The results from this research contribute to the Marxist model of historical change under-discussed in the social movement literature. It also contributes to the ongoing debate in the environmental movement literature addressing the continued effectiveness of the environmental movement as a program for change.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2014
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Grauerholz, Elizabeth
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Sociology
Degree Program
Sociology
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0005189
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0005189
Language
English
Release Date
May 2014
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
Subjects
Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic
STARS Citation
Kane, Wendi, "The U.S. Environmental Movement 1890-2002: Discourse Divisions, Environmental Crisis Events, And Strategic Concessions" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3029.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/3029