Environmental social movements: Drivers of success and failure

This dissertation asks why some environmental movements succeed in their resistance against energy projects and why others fail. It unpacks the drivers that determine the differences in outcomes of environmental social movements, examining energy conflicts that emerged in Türkiye in the 2000s. Departing from studies focusing on limited cases, this comparative research presents a comprehensive account of the divergent trajectories of success and failure in environmental social movements. Using process tracing, it compares four distinct energy conflicts, enabling a nuanced understanding of the drivers leading to different outcomes and the conditions producing similar ones. Empirically, this dissertation demonstrates that the success and failure of environmental social movements are shaped by the interplay of internal and external threats and opportunities. Findings highlight the critical role of strong local support, sustained CSO engagement, and legal protections in fostering resistance, while corporate strategies, the spontaneous ideology of localism, and political crises contribute to failure. Additionally, the dissertation extends the understanding of repression and co-optation by illustrating how these strategies are actively deployed by corporate actors in energy conflicts. Theoretically, it introduces the triadic nexus of success and failure, conceptualizing movement trajectories as the result of dynamic interactions among the state, companies and resistance. Hence, it offers a more comprehensive perspective on movement success by integrating empirical insights into a broader analytical framework.