Earth first. Ideology and the proliferation of a grassroots environmental movement

Earth First! is a self-proclaimed anti-organizational social movement committed to fighting ecological concerns, notably the preservation of wilderness, endangered species, and biodiversity. Previous studies of the movement have shed little light on the fundamentals of its social organization and operational processes. The purpose of this thesis is to gain a greater understanding of the social phenomena that constitutes the movement making explicit its organizational structure and operational processes. This provides the foundation for an examination of the transformational changes the movement has undergone since its inception in 1980. This thesis takes a balanced approach to the study of social movements, at one and the same time trying to take into consideration human agency and the influence of larger social and political forces. It draws upon and provides commentary on resource mobilization theory, practice theory, and Weber's theory of the Routinization of Charisma.