Doctoral Dissertation Research: How Does Law Matter for Social Movement Networks?

博士论文研究：法律对社会运动网络有何影响？

• 批准号: 1228419
• 负责人: Stephen Perz
• 金额: $ 1.92万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1228419&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; How; Does

Social movements have catalyzed change in the U.S. legal system by demanding more stringent enforcement of existing laws, the repeal of laws, and the creation of new laws. Much less research, however, has approached the interplay of law and social movements from the opposite perspective, that is, examining how the creation of law affects social movements. This research aims to shed light on these dynamics by examining how the movement opposing surface mining in Appalachia has evolved since the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). The significance of SMCRA cannot be overstated, as the act called for the federal regulation of surface mining, headed off the growing movement calling for the abolition of the practice, and also legitimated the controversial extraction method known as mountaintop removal.The researchers approach this social movement as a network, aiming to understand how the relationships between anti-surface mining social movement organizations changed, and continue to change in response to legal engagements. Engagements include the tactics used, as well as the ways they frame the problem of surface mining and the goals they seek. Network analysis allows the researchers to correlate the network positions of individual social movement organizations with their legal stances. Interviews with organizational leaders allow the researchers to garner insider assessments of how the law influences intra-movement dynamics and how movement dynamics influence the law.

社会运动促使美国法律的制度发生变化，要求更严格地执行现有法律，废除法律，并制定新的法律。然而，很少有研究从相反的角度来探讨法律和社会运动的相互作用，也就是说，研究法律的制定如何影响社会运动。本研究旨在通过研究自1977年《露天采矿控制和开垦法案》（SMCRA）通过以来，反对阿巴拉契亚露天采矿的运动是如何演变的，来阐明这些动态。SMCRA的重要性怎么强调都不过分，因为该法案要求联邦对露天采矿进行监管，阻止了要求废除这种做法的日益增长的运动，并且还使有争议的开采方法合法化，称为山顶移除。研究人员将这一社会运动视为一个网络，旨在了解反露天采矿社会运动组织之间的关系如何变化，并根据法律的约定继续改变。参与包括使用的策略，以及他们框定露天采矿问题的方式和他们寻求的目标。网络分析使研究者能够将单个社会运动组织的网络地位与其法律的立场联系起来。与组织领导者的访谈使研究人员能够获得内部评估，了解法律如何影响内部运动动态以及运动动态如何影响法律。