Cambridge University Press Grassroots Environmentalism (Cambridge Studies in Contentious Politics)

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. Review 'Grassroots Environmentalism is an analytical and methodological tour-de-force. Drawing on years of fieldwork in diverse grassroots environmental groups, Staggenborg shows in illuminating detail how activism unfolds on the ground, from the inner workings of activist meetings, to debates over actions, to how groups change over time. This original and insightful account of how activists devise strategy and carry out their work is essential reading for scholars and activists alike.' Nancy Whittier, Smith College'This theoretically and empirically rich account of Pittsburgh's local grassroots environmental movement details the struggles of adapting organizational structures and strategies to maintain sustained mobilization. A brilliant tour de force by one of our most accomplished qualitative field workers. Engagingly written, this book will appeal to both scholars and students.' John D. McCarthy, The Pennsylvania State University Book Description An inside look at how grassroots groups organize and develop strategies over seven years of participant observation in multiple organizations. About the Author Suzanne Staggenborg is Professor of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research examines the dynamics of social movements. She is the author of The Pro-Choice Movement: Organization and Activism in the Abortion Conflict (1991) and Social Movements (2016), and is the 2019 winner of the John D. McCarthy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Scholarship of Social Movements and Collective Behavior.