Proposed fracking has sparked mobilization among environmental social movement organizations in the Midlands. The findings in this study contribute to the broader body of knowledge in understanding social movement organizations in society.
Background and outline of research problem
The gap this research will fill is to explore how the environmental social movement organizations in this research recruit their members and the strategies used to achieve their goals against the proposed fracking, particularly in the Midlands. This research will also explore and describe how these environmental organizations in the Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal obtain their funding, the challenges they face in securing funding in their mobilization and how they collaborate with other organizations in their mobilization against proposed fracking in the Midlands.
Research problems and objectives: Key questions to be asked
To explore how environmental social movement organizations recruit and mobilize their members against proposed hydraulic fracturing. Explore funding sources for environmental social movement organizations in their mobilization against proposed hydraulic fracturing.
Key Concepts
The concept of justice in Marx's condemnation of capitalism implies that Marx's justice for the proletariat is linked to the broader view of justice, which is also reflected in environmental and social justice, as articulated in this study. Environmental justice and Marx's vision of justice are both tacitly aligned with the principles of social justice.
Structure of dissertation
Introduction
Social Movement Organizations
Basically, there is a fine line between the concept of social movements and social movement organizations. This is because the roles of social movements and the roles of organizing social movements are not very far from each other.
Roles of Environmental Social Movement Organization
Environmental social movement organizations seek to educate the public on environmental issues, measures and ways of interacting with the environment. In addition to the educational support that environmental social movement organizations provide to the public, they also fill gaps in government oversight by distributing aid to people and communities where government aid is not available (Hansmann Dreher et al.
Theoretical and Conceptual Approaches for Analyzing Social Movement
- Resource Mobilization
- Collective Behaviour
- Relative Deprivation
- Political opportunity
Political opportunity or process is one of the perspectives used to understand the emergence and activities of social movement organizations. Tarrow (1998) added that political opportunities help social movement organizations contextualize their claims and strategies.
Social Movement Organizations’ Strategies
- Access to state decision-making
- Street Protests
- Networking
- Social Media Communication
- Litigation Strategy
- Public Education
- Recruitment Strategies
Cabalin identified modern means of communication as one of the strategies used by social movement organizations. Litigation is one of the strategies used by social movement organizations to fight for social change.
Sources of Funds for Social Movement Organizations
Olson (1965) and Weinstein noted that some social movement organizations recruit new members by offering incentives and rewards. Similarly, Bromley pointed out that some social movement organizations' funding comes from the owner's pockets.
Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking and its Impacts
Economic Impacts
The economic impacts of shale gas fracking also help the economy by attracting investment opportunities and generating domestic revenue for the government (Davis Ebel 2012; Gordon 2013). One of the negative economic impacts of fracking for shale gas is that successfully producing a shale gas is complicated and expensive.
Environmental and Health Impacts
De Wit (2011:1) argued that people in South Africa also object to fracking due to the lack of transparency in the fracking process. The previous sections also highlighted the process of hydraulic fracturing and its consequences for the environment and people in South Africa.
Environmental Social Movement Organizations in South Africa
The following subsections discuss environmental organizations in South Africa and their struggle for environmental justice in South Africa. Leonard and Pelling acknowledge that the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) is also one of the environmental organizations promoting environmental justice in South Africa.
Environmental Justice Struggles in South Africa
However, this was rooted in environmental racism because blacks were not involved in the conservation of the species. Despite the limitations, Death (2014) acknowledges that some environmental social movements in South Africa, such as Groundwork, Earth-life Africa and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), have been able to confront governments and corporate institutions in the struggle for environmental justice. .
Conclusion
Sometimes social movement organizations and environmental organizations are accused of being pessimistic against development, opportunity, investment, employment and good infrastructure in society. However, to say that social movement organizations and environmental organizations are pessimistic and against development is a misunderstanding of their motives and roles in society.
Introduction
Karl Marx’s View on Justice
This means that Marx's view on justice is linked to the broader view of justice. This shows another connection between Marx's view of justice, social and environmental justice in this study.
Social Justice
In this perspective, it is worth highlighting now some of the concepts of social justice. The justice aspect of social justice shows its connection with Marx's view of justice (Marx calls for justice in the distribution of surplus profits) and environmental justice (calls for justice in the use of the environment and access to environmental resources).
Environmental Justice
This Patel (2000) view of environmental justice supports the importance of Marx's views on justice. Patel's (2000) views are also linked by Marx's view of justice, environmental justice and social justice, as the explanation covers environmental, economic and social issues.
Relationships between the three forms of Justices
Social justice and environmental justice thus emphasize the rights to:. a) accurate information about situations (b) a prompt, respectful and impartial hearing when pollution allegations are made (c) democratic participation in deciding the future of the polluted community (d) compensation by parties who have caused harm to victims (e) elimination of environmental racism (Capek 1993:8). Environmental justice (a) seeks a redistribution of environmental benefits and burdens (same as distributive justice), (b) environmental justice requires access to environmental decision-making processes (same as participatory justice) and (c) environmental justice requires recognition and compensation for environmentally affected groups (same as recognition justice ).
Conclusion
Similarly, it could be inferred that the mobilization of environmental organizations against the proposed fracking in the Midlands, as examined in this research, is based on these three kinds of justices. Thus, social movement organizations, specifically environmental organizations, seek a fair distribution of land and its resources; they require participatory processes in environmental decision-making, and they require recognition and compensation of those affected by environmental hazards.
Introduction
Qualitative Research and Interpretivism
In a brief overview, the researcher uses a qualitative and interpretive research paradigm to explore and understand how fifteen environmental social movement organizations carry out their mobilization against fracking in the Midlands. The qualitative and interpretive paradigm will also help to explore and describe the strategies used in mobilization processes.
Sampling Design
Sample Selection and Size
The directors gave the researcher the names of some of the effective environmental organizations against the proposed fracking in the Midlands. From the lists of environmental organizations, the researcher purposefully selected those mentioned above.
Interview and data collection procedures
The fifteen participants were selected by the organizations based on the recommendations of the directors of each of the environmental organizations, and some of the participants were directors. Participants and the researcher willingly agreed to meet for interviews at any of the interview locations.
Ethics
During the interview, instruments such as a sound recorder were used to record the answers (data) to the participants' questions. All face-to-face interviews were conducted in an environment that was safe and comfortable for the participants and the researcher, and conducive to the interviews.
Difficulties in Data Collection
The participants' participation in the interview was voluntary; so there was no coercion and they were not under duress to participate in the study. These also hindered the researcher in researching and obtaining answers to some questions.
Conclusion
One of the problems was that a certain participant from one of the organizations (WESSA) was called to another meeting during the interview. So he rushed to answer the questions and skipped some questions saying that they were not useful for his organization.
Introduction
Year of Participation in Fracking Issues
Responses from participants indicated that among fifteen environmental organizations, Groundwork was one of the first environmental organizations to mobilize against fracking. Other organizations began to emerge in 2010 and a full spring campaign began in 2015. These different years of anti-fracking campaigning by environmental organizations show how different proposals for fracking emerged (Creamer, 2010; Mathews 2010; De Wit 2011 ).
Factors and Concerns that Motivated the Emergence of Environmental Social
One of the organizations (Concerned Young People of South Africa) raises concerns about the exploitation of land by the poor as what motivated them against fracking in the Midlands. The South African Youth Climate Change Coalition highlighted that they are mobilizing against fracking because of climate change.
Recruitment of members into Environmental Organizations
Therefore, during the anti-fracking mobilization in the Midlands, people in society volunteer to join protests, attend community meetings and education programs to learn about fracking issues, but are not served as staff members in the organizations recruited. This implies that the people in society are only needed for mobilizations and other activities of the organizations.
Strategies Employed by the Environmental Social Movements
World Wide Fund (WWF) Participation in public participation meetings and writing articles about fracking in the newspapers. Environmental and rural solutions Using demonstrations and sharing information about fracking to the people in the communities.
Collaboration with other Environmental Social Movements Organizations
Opportunities and challenges of working with other organizations
Other organizations noted that obtaining information and materials are the opportunities that come from working with other organizations. One of the participants, Leboh (South African Youth Climate Change Coalition, June 5), expressed the challenge of the lack of resources (finances) to attend meetings and support programs in their collaboration with other organizations.
Sources of funds and challenges in getting funds
One of the organizations (Wilderness Action Group) admitted that they are environmental management consultants; so they get funds for the mobilization against fracking from the courses they offer. Most of the environmental organizations from the data presented in table 5 pointed out that they do get funds from philanthropic individuals in society.
Positions and Viewson Fracking
This point supports Dreher et al. 2012) views on the influence social movement funders have on some of the activities, projects and mobilization undertaken by organization. Some of the local citizens therefore do not share the same views with others and with the environmental organizations.
Conclusion
In addition to this view, another participant Leonard (Groundwork, 26 May 2017) also expressed the concern that "some leaders in communities are deceived and bribed by the oil companies and this makes them have different views with community members and social movements representing the community". These different views on fracking also point to the necessity and importance of educational roles of environmental organizations as highlighted in chapter two.
Introduction
Key Findings
This study revealed that some of the organizations get funds from government and corporate organizations. The use of protest actions was also one of the dominant strategies employed by the environmental organizations in this study.
Recommendations for Further Research
Findings in this study also revealed the importance of local or indigenous language by social movement organizations in their mobilizations. Therefore, further research should investigate the use of local language effectively as a strategy for social movement organizations.
Limitations of the Study
Introduction: Collective Behavior and Social Movements in the Postmodern Era: Looking Back to Look Forward. Democracy and Social Movement in South Africa, in Padayachee, V 2006 (ed). Decade of Development?: Economic and Social Change in South Africa, 1994-2004.
INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
If they don't, how can you (as an individual organisation) mobilize against fracking in the Midlands. Are some environmental movements or communities indifferent or silent in mobilizing against fracking in the Midlands.
ETHICAL CLEARANCE LETTER
INFORMED CONSENT LETTER
The research aims to know the challenges of your community related to resource scarcity, people's movement and effects on peace. I………(full names of . participant) hereby confirm that I understand the content of this document and the nature of the research project, and I agree to participate in the research project.
CODES DEVELOPMENT IN THE STUDY
It was also developed to shed more light on their cooperation and also to show that despite their cooperation they also have their different views and positions regarding fracking which can hinder their unity.
GATE KEEPERS LETTERS
