Becoming Political: Grassroots Environmental Justice Activism As a Source of Political Learning and Socialization
Posted: 2 Nov 2017
Date Written: October 30, 2017
Abstract
This article investigates the political learning effects of grassroots environmental justice activism on the political behavior and participation of grassroots activists and organizations engaged in environmental justice (EJ) activism in predominantly minority communities through a multi-layered study of EJ activism in Pennsylvania and Maryland from its peak in the early 1990's through the early 2010's. Qualitative analysis was conducted on relevant state documents, correspondence and environmental justice advisory committee meeting minutes. Quantitative analysis was conducted on participant responses to an original survey of environmental justice community organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region. Data has also been collected from archives, interviews, newspapers and published reports. These case studies show how EJ activism functioned as a source of political learning and socialization that contributed to the implementation of policies and procedures that encouraged and facilitated community organizations' and impacted populations' participation. The findings also show that grassroots EJ activism is an important space where citizens learn about themselves, their identities, histories and relationships. Such learning is highly political. Many of the participants in this study were completely new to activism and political engagement, and through their mobilization developed new skills and knowledge that shaped their political trajectories. The non-political became a pathway to the political.
In short, community organizations learned, in part, how to identify and navigate relevant institutions and processes by participating in direct action grassroots EJ activism. The information gleaned was applied to subsequent behavior and played a role in shaping their state governments’ procedural and institutional responses which contributed to the development and implementation of enhanced participation policies, opportunities and particularized benefits for areas and populations of environmental justice concern. The findings also show that these responses produced feedback effects that helped citizens become even more politically engaged.
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