Environmentalists and their politics : an analysis of protest strategy in the politics of some Australian environmentalists
Date
1976
Authors
Kamarul, Bahrin Bin Othman
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Abstract
A feature of the politics of "environmental
quality" in Australia is the adoption of protest and other
forms of direct action by some Australian environmentalists.
The thesis is, firstly, a critical examination of
the explanations often given for this phenomenon and,
secondly, an attempt to provide a political explanation
for protest strategy.
It is argued that much of the analysis of
protest in the environmental movement has relied on
psychological, class, ideological or institutional
explanations. As a consequence, the tendency has been
to regard protest either as irrational and 'deviant' or
as idealistic and humane. This thesis, on the other hand,
attempts to show that protest strategy can be rational
and purposive and a normal occurrence in the politics
of any large discontented group.
To demonstrate the purposiveness and normality
of protest in the Australian environmental movement, the
thesis develops four profiles of Australian environmentalists;
Management-Oriented Conservationists, MorallyResponsible
Scientists, Radical Environmentalists and
Environmental Pragmatists. These profiles are constructed
from an examination of the public writings of a number of
a<-9
prominent Australian environmentalists and/based on their
conception of the environmental 'problem', their goals,their conception of the role of environmentalists and the
level of trust they have for the political system.
The thesis concludes that protest strategy is
a function of particular configurations of attitudes
towards the 'problem' and its solution and orientations
towards the political system. Protest may therefore be
interpreted as purposive and regarded as a normal part
of the politics of any significant group discontented
with the political system.
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