Subjectivized Knowledge and Grassroots Advocacy: An Analysis of an Environmental Controversy in Northern California

Neil Lindeman San Francisco State University

Abstract

In 2008, a grassroots opposition movement succeeded in stopping California’s aerial spray program for eradicating the light brown apple moth. The movement included a small core of citizen experts who focused on refuting the technical assessments that the state used to justify the aerial spray program. This article analyzes the rhetoric of the opposition movement, especially its written technical discourse, to find out how the movement established expert authority and why the movement’s rhetorical success represents a cautionary tale for public deliberation in an era of democratized expertise.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2013-01-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651912448871
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Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Written Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

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