Copyright by Courtney Lanston Dillard 2002 The Dissertation Committee for Courtney Lanston Dillard Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: The Rhetorical Dimensions of Radical Flank Effects: Investigations into the Influence of Emerging Radical Voices on the Rhetoric of Long-standing Moderate Organizations in Two Social Movements Committee: ___________________________ Dana Cloud, Supervisor ___________________________ Rick Cherwitz ___________________________ Roderick Hart ___________________________ Laurie Lewis __________________________ Karin Wilkins The Rhetorical Dimensions of Radical Flank Effects: Investigations into the Influence of Emerging Radical Voices on the Rhetoric of Long-standing Moderate Organizations in Two Social Movements by Courtney Lanston Dillard, B.A., M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August, 2002 The Rhetorical Dimensions of Radical Flank Effects: Investigations into the Influence of Emerging Radical Voices on the Rhetoric of Long-standing Moderate Organizations in Two Social Movements Publication No. ______ Courtney Lanston Dillard, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2002 Supervisor: Dana Cloud Guided by an interest in the origins of social change, this dissertation investigates how long-standing social movement organizations adopt and promote more progressive ideologies over time. While some scholars have argued that well- established social movement organizations tend to occupy positions more in line with the status quo as they age, there are provocative cases in the field that challenge this perspective. In this dissertation, I examine two social movement organizations, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Sierra Club, both of which iv continue to introduce new arguments and new messages into the public sphere and therefore encourage the public to embrace a larger degree of social change. In attempting to explain how these organizations have developed their discourse in the last thirty years, I focus on the impact of key emerging radical groups within the larger movement. I ask: Does the rhetoric introduced into the animal protection and environmental advocacy movements by more radical groups affect the rhetoric of more moderate organizations in those same movements? I endeavor to answer this question by tracking and analyzing the rhetoric produced by HSUS and the Sierra Club from 1970 to 2000. In conducting my investigations, I explore whether attempts on the part of radicals to expand the realm of identification (Burke, 1950) by challenging taken for granted notions concerning the value of animals/the earth and offering counter-arguments can be found in the discourse of later campaign materials produced by the moderates. In order to do this, I track shifts in the arguments presented by the moderate organizations both prior to and following the emergence of the more radical groups - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and EarthFirst!. Specifically, I explore whether following the introduction of a more radical ideology into the movement, moderates begin to challenge accepted norms concerning human relations with animals/the earth, ultimately setting the stage for a reinterpretation of that relation and a broadening of the existing sphere of identification. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………… iv LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………. xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ……………………………… p. 1 Research Questions ……………………………………… p. 10 Rationale ………………………………………………… p. 11 Limitations of the Study – Scope and Conclusions …….. p. 15 Chapter Outline ……………………………………… … p. 16 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ……………………………. p. 19 Sociology: Theoretical Paradigms and Social Movements …… p. 20 Inter-organizational Relations ………………………. p. 27 Radical Flank Effects ……………………………….. p. 27 Framing ……………………………………………. p. 29 Communication Studies: Theoretical Paradigms and Social Movements ……………………………………….. p. 32 Rhetorical Dimensions of Radicals and Moderates … p. 36 vi Hegemony and Counter-hegemony ………………… p. 39 Research on the Environmental Advocacy & Animal Protection Movements …………………………… p. 43 CHAPTER THREE: CONTEXT & METHODOLOGY ………… p. 52 Case One: The Animal Protection Movement ……………… p. 53 Short History of the Animal Protection Movement p. 53 Ideological Underpinnings – Animal Welfare …… p. 55 Humane Society of the United States …………… p. 57 Ideological Underpinnings –Animal Rights ……. p. 55 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – PETA …. p. 61 Case Two: The Environmental Advocacy Movement …………. p. 64 Short History of the Environmental Advocacy Movement p. 64 Ideological Underpinnings - Conservation and Preservation …………………………. p. 67 Sierra Club …………………………………………… p. 68 Ideological Underpinnings of Radical/Deep Ecology … p. 70 EarthFirst! …………………………………………….. p. 73 The Lens of Rhetorical Criticism ………………………………. p. 75 Identification …………………………………………. p. 77 Problematizing use value: blocking enthymemes …….. p. 81 vii Method ………………………………………………………. p. 84 Rhetorical Criticism……………………………… p. 84 Empirical Analysis…………………………. ……. p. 86 Data Collection …………………………………………….. p. 87 Archival Material ………………………………… p. 87 Interviews ……………………………………………... p. 89 CHAPTER 4: NEW CHALLENGES TO OUR USE OF ANIMALS – ARGUMENTS BEYOND CRUELTY ……………………………… p. 91 The Fur Animal Campaign: From Cruel Traps to Shameful Display ………………………………………… p. 92 HSUS 1970 - 1980 ………………………………….. p. 98 PETA 1980 - 1990 ………………………………….. p. 101 HSUS 1980 - 2000 ………………………………….. p. 104 The Farm Animal Campaign: From Reforming Slaughter Methods to Vegetarianism ………… p. 109 HSUS 1970 - 1980 ……………………………………. p. 112 PETA 1980 - 1990 …………………………………….. p. 116 HSUS 1980 - 2000 …………………………………….. p. 119 The Laboratory Animal Campaign: From Support of the Scientific Community to Skepticism …….. p. 127 HSUS 1970 - 1980 ………………………………………. p. 130 viii PETA 1980 - 1990 ………………………………………. p. 134 HSUS 1980 - 2000 ………………………………………. p. 139 Conclusion …………………………………………………………. p. 147 CHAPTER 5: NEW CHALLENGES TO OUR USE OF THE EARTH: REARTICULATING OUR RELATIONSHIP ………………………….. p. 150 The Dam Campaign – From Prevention to Removal ………………. p. 152 Sierra Club 1970 - 1980 ………………………………. p. 155 Earthfirst! 1980 - 1990 ………………………………… p. 158 Sierra Club 1980 - 2000 ………………………………... p. 163 The Logging Campaign: From Suggestions For Forest Practices To A Ban On Cutting Old-Growth ……………………………… p. 169 Sierra Club 1970 - 1980 …………………………………. p. 172 Earthfirst! 1980 - 1990 ………………………………….. p. 175 Sierra Club 1980 - 2000 ………………………………… p. 180 The Grazing Campaign: From Partners to Adversaries …………… p. 187 Sierra Club 1970 - 1980 ………………………………… p. 189 Earthfirst! 1980 - 1990 ………………………………….. p. 192 Sierra Club 1980 - 2000 …………………………………. p. 198 Conclusion …………………………………………………………. p. 205 CHAPTER 6: THE IMPACT OF RADICALIZED RHETORIC ON MATERIAL RESOURCES …………………………………………………………… p. 208 ix Findings …………………………………………………………… p. 216 Analysis …………………………………………………………… p. 222 Conclusion ………………………………………………………… p. 227 CHAPTER 7: WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS - NEW DIRECTION FOR RESEARCH AND THE MOVEMENTS ……………………………….. p. 229 Chapter Summary ………………………………………………….. p. 229 Importance of the Project ………………………………………….. p. 234 Alternative Influences: Future Directions ……………………. p. 240 Current Context ………………………………………………. p. 247 Bibliography ……………………………………………………….. p. 250 Vita …………………………………………………………………. p. 267 x LIST OF FIGURES HSUS Membership, Part 1: 1976 - 1984 ……………………………… p. 216 HSUS Membership, Part 2: 1985 - 2001 ………………………………. p. 217 HSUS Revenues, 1975 - 1999 ………………………………………… p. 218 Sierra Club Membership, 1970 - 1997 .……………………………….. p. 219 Sierra Club Revenues, 1970 - 1999 …………………………………… p. 220 xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Thirty years ago, the only question a woman might ask herself when buying a fur coat was - mink or sable? At that time, vegetarianism was only for hippies and the vast majority of the general public accepted the use of lab animals for scientific purposes as unproblematic. Thirty years ago, no politician would even consider a proposal to tear down existing dams. In the 1970s, ancient trees were more economically valuable and therefore more likely to be cut than second growth. Government agencies were also assumed to manage public lands in the interest of the public. A lot has changed from 1970 to 2000. Buying fur has an element of shame to it, celebrities from Kim Bassinger to Alec Baldwin are touting their vegetarian status, and many major research centers have established ethics committees to oversee animal experimentation. Former Secretary of the Interior, Dan Hodel, has publicly announced his support for the removal of Glen Canyon dam. Trees-sitters protecting old-growth forests resonate with the public and several pieces of legislation have prevented logging ancient trees, despite their economic value. Finally, the public is beginning to question the interest of government agencies such as the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Public comments on environmental impact statements have grown tremendously. There have been many changes. But how do 1 such changes come about? While a multitude of influences exist in any notable societal shift, social movements have historically been an important catalyst. Social movements provide a place to speak up, object, oppose, and dissent when others in the society are still silent. Participants in social