Characteristics and influence of the Australian conservation movement: An examination of selected conservation controversies

摘要

This thesis is a study of selected aspects of Australianudenvironmentalism during the period 1960-1980. By analysing a numberudof case-studies of environmental conflict, the aim is to discover someudcharacteristics of the Australian conservation movement and to determineudwhat influence, if any, eco-activists have exerted on the reform ofudresource management practices of public authorities and private corporations.udEnvironmentalism is here defined as a social and political movementudinvolving specific sets of beliefs about the relationship of man and Nature,udgenerally antipathetical to existing modes of technology and naturaludresources utilisation.udThe opening three chapters of the thesis are devoted to an examinationudof various types of environmentalism and their outward manifestation asudpolitical action by voluntary conservation groups. It is argued thatudcommunity environmental organisations face a number of internal stressesudarising from variations in values and ideology, the loose affiliation ofudmembers, reliance upon voluntary effort, diverse organisational structuresudand leadership styles, as well as lack of financial resources. Yet highudmotivation, cadres of dedicated activists and unorthodox tactics, createudstrong survival capacity. In order to achieve political influence throughudlobbying, persuasion, bargaining and coercion, such groups must penetrateudkey decision processes, yet conform to the norms of the socio-politicaludculture, or else achieve a weight of public opinion favourable to theirudcause.