Environmental self-organized activism: emotion, organization and collective identity in Mexico

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an analysis of Mexican self-organized grassroots environmental groups’ activism.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on fieldwork in the State of Jalisco (Mexico), where the authors have carried out in-depth interviews with members of four self-organized collectives which are defending their territories, and following the sociological framework on emotions and protest.

Findings

The authors will show: how and where activism begins; the role of the emotions in various steps of mobilization (growth and decline) and in the construction of collective identity; as well as the role of emotions in the organizational and strategical choices.

Originality/value

The proposal aims to highlight the organizational forms of activism of self-organized grassroots environmental groups in Mexico through a sociological lens in which the emotional dimension of the protest matters to a great extent.

Citation

Gravante, T. and Poma, A. (2016), "Environmental self-organized activism: emotion, organization and collective identity in Mexico", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 36 No. 9/10, pp. 647-661. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-11-2015-0128