Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.

Non-UMass Amherst users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.

Dissertations that have an embargo placed on them will not be available to anyone until the embargo expires.

Date of Award

5-2013

Access Type

Campus Access

Document type

dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Program

Political Science

First Advisor

John Brigham

Second Advisor

Jillian Schwedler

Third Advisor

Laura L. Lovett

Abstract

The mainstream breast cancer movement, as represented by pink ribbons and foundations like Komen and Avon, has been very influential in shaping the research agenda toward a cure and promoting education and early detection. In the 1990s, a "green" sub-movement emerged that focused instead on the link between environment, cancer, and health. This study examined how pink and green breast cancer organizations differ in terms of organizational policies, characteristics, internal structure, model programs, tactics, advocacies, and diversity; which of those factors explain why individual breast cancer organizations prefer green or pink advocacy; and whether the goals of pink and green organizations are converging or diverging. The qualitative study included fifty-four in-depth, semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders in the breast cancer movement. This research builds on the work of Brown (2009), who argues that breast cancer is an embodied health movement, and this dissertation demonstrates that attributes of organizations such as strategy, mission, and branding have led to a greater convergence between the pink and green wings of the movement, and green can no longer be understood as a sub-movement.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/vtx7-dt62

Download
Off-campus Download

Share

COinS