Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Contributing Factors of Success or Failure of Environmental Grassroots Movements in Rock Hill

The purpose of this research project is to study the factors that impact the success or failure of environmental grassroots movements. For the purpose of this study an environmental grassroots movement is defined as a community-led organization or initiative aimed at making positive changes in its community for the sake of the environment or another cause. Grassroots movements work from a bottom-up approach and can lead to long-term changes within a community because it starts on an individual basis. During this study qualitative data was collected by interviewing people who participate in select environmental grassroots movements. Each interview ranged from 30 to 60 minutes and consisted of four demographic questions and six core questions pertaining to the study. This study seeks to find which factors are deemed most impactful from an inside perspective of the organization. Three factors to be considered in this study are interconnectedness of the group, funding sources, and active participation within the group. Interconnectedness of the group is defined as the personal connection the individual feels to the good. Funding sources can be described as donations, membership fees, or various forms of government funding. Active participation is the amount of interaction an individual has with the group.