@article{longest_adams_shriver_2022, title={Barriers to women's collective identity formation in contaminated communities}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2325-1042"]}, DOI={10.1080/23251042.2022.2070904}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Extant research emphasizes the resonance of gendered collective identities in mobilizing women’s environmental activism, particularly around motherhood and caregiving. Gaps remain, though, in our understanding of the specific barriers that can obstruct the formation of collective identity among groups of women who share environmental concerns. To interrogate this issue, we explore the case of two cancer clusters in North Carolina that many residents suspect are related to coal ash contamination. We use qualitative interviews with women affected by the clusters (n = 36) to identify factors that have inhibited the formation of a mobilizing collective identity. Our results suggest that the reciprocal relationship between disempowerment and isolation, as well as the compounding burdens of emotional and care labor associated with managing environmental illness, prevented the formation of a collective identity in this case. These findings highlight how factors particular to cases of environmental illness can forestall, rather than drive, women’s environmental activism.}, number={4}, journal={ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY}, author={Longest, Landen and Adams, Alison E. and Shriver, Thomas E.}, year={2022}, month={Oct}, pages={413–423} }
 @article{longest_shriver_adams_2021, title={Cultivating quiescence in risk communities: coal ash contamination and cancer in two cities}, volume={31}, ISSN={0964-4016 1743-8934}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2021.1996729}, DOI={10.1080/09644016.2021.1996729}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Extant research on the management of environmental threats in risk communities highlights the control that state actors and other elites exercise over environmental risk assessments. However, less is known about the particular mechanisms of social control used by elected and other state officials to manipulate citizens’ interpretations of risk. We use the case of coal ash contamination in North Carolina to analyze strategies of control aimed at discouraging residents from identifying possible links between contamination and illness. Drawing on a variety of data sources, including in-depth interviews (n = 55) with area residents, we argue that these strategies of control have been central in fostering quiescence, or a lack of activism, in the affected communities. Our findings demonstrate the success of social control mechanisms in forestalling collective community responses to environmental risks as well as the ways expert narratives of exposure influence the public’s ability to identify environmental threats.}, number={7}, journal={Environmental Politics}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Longest, Landen and Shriver, Thomas E. and Adams, Alison E.}, year={2021}, month={Nov}, pages={1182–1202} }
 @article{shriver_adams_longest_2021, title={“Cursed by Coal”: Climate Change and the Battle over Mining Limits in the Czech Republic}, volume={35}, ISSN={0894-1920 1521-0723}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2021.2003494}, DOI={10.1080/08941920.2021.2003494}, abstractNote={Abstract Global reliance on fossil fuels presents a significant obstacle to climate change mitigation. While numerous countries have committed to phasing out their reliance on fossil fuels, many have not followed through on their promises. We consider the Czech Republic, which is attempting to expand coal mining despite the industry’s history of environmental devastation. Drawing on the literatures regarding elite legitimation and fossil fuel industries’ legitimation strategies, we analyze the coal industry’s campaign to remove mining limits that were established after the country’s democratic transition in 1991. Data come from interviews and document analysis. While extant research has established how elites can reinforce their legitimacy, our research provides insight into the specific mechanisms deployed to diffuse potential legitimacy crises. Specifically, we found that elites utilized four mechanisms: amplification, vilification, pacification, and fearmongering. We conclude by providing a roadmap for future research analyzing elite strategies to defend actions that exacerbate climate change.}, number={2}, journal={Society & Natural Resources}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Shriver, Thomas E. and Adams, Alison E. and Longest, Landen}, year={2021}, month={Nov}, pages={111–128} }