Grassroots activism is essential to the success of the contemporary environmental movement, which depends on the organization of local activists as well as state, national, and international organizations. Yet grassroots activists confront numerous challenges as they attempt to organize diverse participants and devise fresh strategies and tactics. Drawing on more than seven years of fieldwork following diverse organizations in Pittsburgh over time, this book sheds light on the struggles that activists face and the factors that sustain movements. Suzanne Staggenborg examines individual motivations and participation, organizational structures and cultures, relationships in movement communities, and strategies and tactics, including issue framing. The book shows that collective action campaigns and tactics generate solidarity, maintain involvement, and bring in new participants even as organizers struggle to devise effective new types of actions.
Author(s): Suzanne Staggenborg
Series: Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2020
Language: English
City: Cambridge; New York
Series page
Copyright
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms
1 Introduction
Studying environmentalism in pittsburgh
Overview of the book
2 Organization and Strategy in Social Movements
Organizing a movement
Leadership Teams
Activist Engagement and Styles of Participation
Diversity
Summary
Movement strategies and tactics
Social Movement Campaigns and Communities
Framing
Tactical Innovation and Strategic Capacity
Summary
Conclusion
3 Grassroots Environmentalism in Pittsburgh
Sampling the movement
Transition Pittsburgh
Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club
Marcellus Protest
Shadbush Environmental Justice Collective
Protect Our Parks
Summary
Conclusion
4 Environmental Issues and Framing Work
Mobilizing issues
Protecting Public Lands and Wildlife
Coal Mining
Shale Gas Drilling
Climate Change and Community Sustainability
Framing and naming
Conclusion
5 Mobilizing a Grassroots Environmental Movement
Participating in the movement
Joining the Sierra Club
Becoming Active against Fracking
Mobilizing tactics
Conclusion
6 Creating Movement Infrastructure and Community
Creating a movement infrastructure
Transition Pittsburgh
Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club
The Movement against Fracking
The Role of Alliances
Movement community networks and relationships
Conclusion
7 Social Movement Meetings
Marcellus protest general assemblies
Transition open space meetings
Shadbush collective meetings
Sierra club allegheny group executive committee meetings
Marcellus protest coordinating committee meetings
Conclusion
8 Devising Strategy
Discussing strategy
Leadership and Democracy
Group Cultures and Styles
Organizational Structures and Resources
Strategic planning sessions
Sierra Club Strategy Sessions
Strategic Training Workshops
Devising movement-building campaigns
Planning a Counter-Summit on Pipelines
Brainstorming a Campaign
The pitfalls of strategic planning
Follow-Up
Conclusion
9 Conclusion
Contributions to social movement theory
Lessons for movement organizers
Fieldwork Appendix: Studying Movement Dynamics
References
Index
Series page (continued from p.iii)
