Publications of Steger, T.

Steger T, Milicevic M. One Global Movement, Many Local Voices: Discourse(s) of the Global Anti-Fracking Movement. In: Leonard L, Kedzior SB, editors. Occupy the Earth: Global Environmental Movements (Advances in Sustainability and Environmental Justice. Vol 15. Emerald Group Publishing Limited; 2014. p. 1-35. Abstract

One Global Movement, Many Local Voices: Discourse(s) of the Global Anti-Fracking Movement

In this chapter, we “occupy the earth” with an overview of the anti-fracking discourse(s) of diverse local initiatives converging as a global movement opposed to fracking. By mapping the discourse(s) of the anti-fracking movement, the articulation of the problems and solutions associated with fracking raise questions not only about the environment but draw attention to a crisis of democracy and the critical need for social and environmental justice. With the help of a multiple theoretical framework we draw on insights about environmental movements and their democratizing potential; conceptualizations about power and (counter) discourse; and depictions of the environmental justice movements in the United States. Toward this end, we analyze the framing of the anti-fracking movement: the many local voices engaging in political struggles to sustain their communities, places and ways of life, and the global movements’ forum for collective solidarity, recognition, and civic action. Shedding light on the multiple frames employed by movement members, we discuss the implications and potential embodied in this widening debate.

Review of social determinants and the health divide in the WHO European Region: final report

The WHO European Region has seen remarkable health gains in populations that have experienced progressive improvements in the conditions in which people are born, grow, live and work. Inequities persist, however, both between and within countries. This review of inequities in health between and within countries across the 53 Member States of the Region was commissioned to support the development of the new European policy framework for health and well-being, Health 2020. Much more is understood now about the extent and social causes of these inequities. The European review builds on the global evidence and recommends policies to ensure that progress can be made in reducing health inequities and the health divide across all countries, including those with low incomes. Action is needed on the social determinants of health, across the life-course and in wider social and economic spheres to achieve greater health equity and protect future generations

Steger T. Occupy Wall Street: An Alternative Discourse. Coimbra, Portugal: CEScontexto, Centre for Social Studies (CES), University of Coimbra, Portugal; 2013. Abstract

Occupy Wall Street: An Alternative Discourse

Preliminary research on the Occupy Wall Street movement (OWS), in particular Occupy NYC, indicates that the movement is generating a particular discourse that has effectively drawn increasing attention to social inequality. The occupation of urban spaces generated a spatial forum for further articulating the message of the movement. The chant, “We are the 99%,” the occupation of Zuccotti Park in Manhattan’s financial district, and the International Day of Direct Action in which 35,000 flooded the streets of lower Manhattan describe some key themes and moments in the Occupy NYC movement. An important question, however, is to what extent the movement is a significant challenge to the dominant paradigm in which a market ideology discourse (or neoliberal disco urse) prevails. Based on data gathered from interviews, participant observation, and archival research, this paper maps and engages the emerging discourse of the Occupy NYC movement in light of this critical framework. Concepts such as culture jamming and environmental justice are further employed to bring richness and depth to the analysis.

Final Report for the Assessment of the 6th Environmental Action Programme

This report presents the results of the independent evaluation of the 6EAP. The overall objective of this evaluation was to provide an in-depth assessment of the achievements of the 6EAP since its adoption in 2002 to the end of 2010. The assessment is based on two primary sources. One is desk research to analyse relevant EU policies, measures and tools adopted since 2002 and their contribution to objectives set out in the 6EAP. The other is a series of targeted consultations with key European stakeholders through an electronic survey, three expert workshops and several interviews with relevant policy-makers in the European institutions and stakeholders, which explored the overall added value of the 6EAP.

Medarova-Bergstrom K, Steger T, Paulsen A. The Case of Environmental Policy Integration in Central and Eastern Europe. In: Governance for the Environment: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Policy Integration. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar; 2010. p. 179-99.
Steger T. The Role of Culture and Nationalism in Latvian Environmentalism and the Implications for Environmental. In: Environmental Justice and Sustainability in the Former Soviet Union. The MIT Press; 2009.
Steger T. The Role of Culture and Nationalism in Latvian Environmentalism. In: Agyeman J, Ogneva-Himmelberger Y, editors. Environmental Justice and Sustainability in the Former Soviet Union. MIT Press; 2009. p. 141-52.
Steger T. Environmental Activism around Lake Ohrid. In: European Consortium for Political Research International Conference 2009. Potsdam, Germany; 2009.

Environmental justice and Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe

Environmental injustice and the social exclusion of Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has roots in historical patterns of ethnic exclusion and widening socioeconomic inequalities following the collapse of state socialism and the transition to multi-party parliamentary governments in 1989. In this article, we discuss some of the methodological considerations in environmental justice research, engage theoretical perspectives on environmental inequalities and social exclusion, discuss the dynamics of discrimination and environmental protection regarding the Roma in CEE, and summarize two case studies on environmental justice in Slovakia and Hungary. We argue that, when some landscapes and social groups are perceived as ‘beyond the pale’ of environmental regulation, public participation and civil rights, it creates local sites for externalizing environmental harms. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Articulating the Basis for Promoting Environmental Justice in Central and Eastern Europe

The need for better environmental protection, human rights, and health has been widely asserted. Poorer and minority communities, namely those with the least economic and political participation capacity and targets of discrimination, benefit the least and take on more than their fair share of the burdens accruing from industrialized society. In the last five years, environmental justice has gained specific attention in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Research and advocacy are growing, and affirming the need for environmental justice in Europe, especially amongst the Roma. In this article, we introduce briefly some of the emerging findings on the status of environmental justice in CEE and summarize a general framework for asserting environmental justice in Europe.

Making the Case for Environmental Justice in Central and Eastern Europe. Steger T, editor. Budapest and Brussels: Center for Environmental Policy and Law, Environmental Justice Program; Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL); 2007.
Antypas A, Stec S, Steger T. Transition and Governance : The Case of Post-Communist States. In: Winter G, editor. Multilevel Governance of Global Environmental Change : Perspectives from Science, Sociology and the Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2006. p. 358-83.

Public Participation in Integrated Water Resource Management at Lake Ohrid: Opportunities and Challenges

The capacity for the implementation of the integrated water resources management framework is ignited by strong civic participation. Such participation can create the foundation for using water resources efficiently and effectively by engaging social learning, building trust, and a forum for understanding possibilities and limits. The nature of civil society and its role in a given context, however, must be taken into consideration. In this paper, we explore the case of Lake Ohrid and conclude with some empirical insights into strengthening public participation as well as understanding the challenges of transboundary efforts.