The symbolism of political and social change in Australia 1965-1975
In this thesis an attempt was made to examine the period1965-1975, in Australia, in terms of the symbolic politics ofsocial change in certain fields of "protest", viz the anti-Vietnammovements, women's movements, environmental movements,Aboriginal movements, "permissiveness" movementsand (to a lesser extent) "ethnic consciousness" movements.There was a concern with both the instrumental and the expressivefunctions of these forms of protest.Particular reliance was placed on some of the conceptsdeveloped by Kenneth Burke, Hugh Dalziel Duncan, Orrin.E.Klapp,Murray Edelman, James Combs and Michael Mansfield. Theseconcepts were used in an examination of pamphlets, petitions,editorials, letters to the editor of newspapers and magazines,books, badges, stickers, posters and contemporary accounts of theactivities pursued by the movements referred to.This resulted in a classification of various forms ofprotest action. Within each of these classifications there wasexamination of both instrumental and expressive elements - andalso with paradoxes of unintended consequences. The protest formswere seen to be capable of developing a "life" of their own.One of the main conclusions reached has been concerned withthe need, on occasion, to use symbolic forms of protest/challengein order to place new items on the agenda, or to re-defineexisting agenda items. However, the very theatricality of thetechniques used not only attracts attention and gives reassuranceto followers: it can also produce unintended consequences.The study of the theatricalities of agenda - changing meritscloser attention by political scientists than it has traditionallyreceived. There is a need to develop new methods of analysis.