Proximity to anti-fracking protests: public attitudes about disruption and hydraulic-fracturing risks

Ross Palmer, Paul Stretesky*, Carol Stephenson, Damien Short

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Research on protest proximity and public attitudes about protests is limited. This study examines the association between proximity to anti-fracking protests, attitudes about protest disruption and perceptions about hydraulic fracturing risks. Data used to examine these associations are based on a representative sample of UK adults, some of whom reside in communities where sustained direct-action anti-fracking protests occur. Across the sample of UK residents, a decrease in proximity to anti-fracking protests is associated with an increase in perceptions that protests are disruptive. Moreover, as concerns about disruptive protests increase, perceptions that hydraulic fracturing is risky decrease. Nevertheless, perceptions of disruption and fracking risks are unrelated among a sub-sample of residents living closest to protests. These findings add to the protest proximity literature by emphasising that disruptive protests do not always detract from social movement messages.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages25
JournalSocial Movement Studies
Early online date6 Oct 2024
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 6 Oct 2024

Keywords

  • Geo-spatial protest
  • opposition to hydraulic fracturing
  • Protest disorder
  • public attitudes about protests
  • socio-spatial effects of protest
  • UK shale fail

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