The Institutionalization of California Environmental Justice Advocacy

Tracy Perkins
Sociology
UC Santa Cruz

Early environmental justice activism was noteworthy for the widespread involvement of local community groups and the use of tactics outside of the routine political process such as blockades and the disruption and take-over of public hearings. However, this dissertation argued that over time environmental justice activism has also been increasingly institutionalized into formal movement organizations. This has been accompanied by a growing engagement with routine political processes, which has caused internal debates about the most effective strategies with which to pursue environmental justice goals. The grantee’s dissertation spoke to these debates through a focus on the evolution of environmental justice activism in California. It asked: What has led to the institutionalization of environmental justice activism? How do contemporary environmental justice advocates negotiate the use of both “insider” and “outsider” politics simultaneously? To what extent has this institutionalization been successful in improving environmental conditions in low-income communities of color?