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

Included in

Sociology Commons

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