Explaining environmentalism : in search of a new social movement

In this text, the author examines those theories which purport to explain the emergence and character of "new" social movements in the "advanced" industrial societies since the 1960s.

In particular, it sets out to test the efficacy of these explanations in relation to the history of the environmental movement in Britain.

The book brings together both short-term and the more historically orientated long-term explanations into a single volume, thus providing a resource for students of social movements.

Its critical exposition of major theories also points to the need for a more developmental approach which seeks to connect "old" and "new" movement forms, thus allowing for a more balanced evaluation of the potential of the environmental movement to bring about significant social change.