Greece
Explores shifts in the Greek environmental movement, drawing on an analysis of a 50% sample of articles taken from the major national newspaper, Eleftherotypia, 1988-1997, & taking the context of sociopolitical & economic change across the decade as an important aspect influencing environmental group behavior. Four factors impact the incidence of environmental protest: (1) changes in the political opportunity/constraint structure, (2) activist's social space organization, (3) the economic opportunity/constraint structure, & (4) pattern of newspaper coverage. A clear & steady decrease in contentious events is apparent, with three peaks in the declining trend seen in 1989, 1993, & 1996, all national election years. The fact that Eleftherotypia is an Athens-based paper is seen to impact the spatial distribution of reported protest events. Economic opportunity affected the reporting of environmental protest as well. The large majority of protests centered on conservation; urban, industrial & pollution issues, & energy & transport issues. The declining & stable patterns of protest related to them are seen as a function of the institutionalization of environmental activism. Attention turns to the form of protest, relating the shift away from confrontational action to the aforementioned institutionalization; issue-action form link; & the environmental organizations & community-based groups mobilized to protest. It is noted that most protest occurred on the local or district level, with little national mobilization & extremely rare cases of transnational protests. It is concluded that political & economic opportunities & constraints confronting the two major environmental groups are the key factors underpinning patterns of environmental protest in Greece. 6 Tables, 7 Figures. J. Zendejas