Politics of meaning : the impact of the Tasmanian Greens on environmental debate

This thesis is about the 'politics of meaning' in the context of environmental debate in Tasmania. The central argument is that movement-generated political parties play a vital role in this politics, particularly in generating new interpretations and new frames of meaning. Party political actors operate from a privileged position within 'public arenas' and their participation within public debate differs significantly from that of movement activists. Party formation entails the politicisation and pragmatisation of debate, enhances the use of official media strategies, results in a diffusion of issues and encourages compliance with established political boundaries. These processes are viewed as critical for the organisation of new frames of meaning into more systematised and institutionalised knowledge. The analytical framework for studying politics of meaning is developed throughout chapters two and three. It is derived from three bodies of literature: on new social movement and new political parties; on public arenas; and on mass media. A distinction between social movement organisations and political parties forms the basis for an argument that these two play different roles in contests over meaning. Literature on public arenas forms the basis of analysis of how meanings are circulated and knowledge is contested in public domains. Literature on mass media provides a source of concepts used in the analysis of framing and agenda formation. Chapter four outlines a research strategy, and chapter five is a case study of environmental debate in Tasmania. The coverage of the Tasmanian Greens and environmental movement organisations is examined over two key periods: before (1984) and after (1994) the formation of Tasmanian Greens. Content analysis of The Mercury is supplemented by analysis of internal movement media - the Tasmanian Greens' journal The Daily Planet and the Wilderness Society's journal Wilderness - as well as analysis of election campaign materials and policy documents issued by the party. The level and mode of attracting media attention, range and scope of issue agenda, and framing activities of social movement activists and party officials are examined in the context of environmental debate.