Lynch, M.J. & Stretsky, P.B. (2003) ‘The meaning of green: Contrasting criminological per-
spectives’, Theoretical Criminology, 7 (2) pp.217-238.
Defining green in ‘green criminology’
- Green crimes, like other crimes, are social constructions influenced by social locations and
power relations in society
- Examining the meaning of green as influenced by 2 distinct groups: corporate actors and
environmental jusice activists/movements influenced by considerations of gender, race, and
class-based inequities
The social construction of crime
- Quinney (1970) popularized the idea that crime is a social construction that reflects societal
power relations.
- the acts of crime are behaviours predominantly undertaken by relatively powerless social
actors
- the process of constructing crime is also subject to legitimation constraints and rules defining
fair play – conseqeutnly some of the behaviours of the powerful will also be defined as
criminal
The corporate deconstruction of green
- corporations play an important role in the social construction/meaning of green
- late 1980’s media and scholarly pundits predicted that the environment would become a
major political issue over the following, decade, reawakening people’s environmental
consciousness
- proved inaccurate
- the involvement of corporations in environmental movements facilitated the decline of
renewed interest in the environment
- the limited success of the green movement can be tied to the transformation of the ideological
basis and symbolism the public has come to associate with the term green
- corporate constructions of green have led to widespread reinterpretations of what it means to
‘be green’ and to take a ‘green position’
- corporations that release cancer-causing substances into the environment in amounts that
meet established regulatory limits are praised even though their production practices are non-
sustainable, exploitive and even criminal in some countries
Corporate reconstruction of green
- environmental movement rapidly reconstructed in the 1990’s by corporations that manipulated
and remade the term green
- the word green – presented to the public in a mild de-politicized environmental vision along
with less drastic responses to environmental issues – for example consumers could easily
become green by altering their purchasing behavior – buying ‘green’ products – by appearing
green they were able to redirect support for environmental issues and movements (Karliner
1997)
- growing public concern with environmental issues – more of the population wished to join
green-based movements
- green movements are radical – argue for changes in production practices, limits on growth
and corporate power and economic redistribution as a viable policy response – consequently
increasing public support posed a threat to corporations business
- 2 responses by corporations – the first was to make small environmental concessions to
appease the public’s concerns, second corportations engaged in public relations campaigns.
Example: McDonald’s bowed to pressure to eliminate the use of Styrofoam, secondly, they
used media campaigns to make them appear green – appeased publics desire for
strengthened environmental protectionism – depoliticized the idea of being green
- ‘Greenwashing’ – advertising to head off the development of a peoples environmental
movement
- Karliner (1997) – corporations have successfully employed this strategy as a response to
popular environmentalism – consumers encouraged to think and buy green – green practices
associated with advertisements rather than production practices
- Chevron corporation – well known for its environmentally destructive practices – developed
environmental advertising program that included a TV commercial featuring attempts to save
spectives’, Theoretical Criminology, 7 (2) pp.217-238.
Defining green in ‘green criminology’
- Green crimes, like other crimes, are social constructions influenced by social locations and
power relations in society
- Examining the meaning of green as influenced by 2 distinct groups: corporate actors and
environmental jusice activists/movements influenced by considerations of gender, race, and
class-based inequities
The social construction of crime
- Quinney (1970) popularized the idea that crime is a social construction that reflects societal
power relations.
- the acts of crime are behaviours predominantly undertaken by relatively powerless social
actors
- the process of constructing crime is also subject to legitimation constraints and rules defining
fair play – conseqeutnly some of the behaviours of the powerful will also be defined as
criminal
The corporate deconstruction of green
- corporations play an important role in the social construction/meaning of green
- late 1980’s media and scholarly pundits predicted that the environment would become a
major political issue over the following, decade, reawakening people’s environmental
consciousness
- proved inaccurate
- the involvement of corporations in environmental movements facilitated the decline of
renewed interest in the environment
- the limited success of the green movement can be tied to the transformation of the ideological
basis and symbolism the public has come to associate with the term green
- corporate constructions of green have led to widespread reinterpretations of what it means to
‘be green’ and to take a ‘green position’
- corporations that release cancer-causing substances into the environment in amounts that
meet established regulatory limits are praised even though their production practices are non-
sustainable, exploitive and even criminal in some countries
Corporate reconstruction of green
- environmental movement rapidly reconstructed in the 1990’s by corporations that manipulated
and remade the term green
- the word green – presented to the public in a mild de-politicized environmental vision along
with less drastic responses to environmental issues – for example consumers could easily
become green by altering their purchasing behavior – buying ‘green’ products – by appearing
green they were able to redirect support for environmental issues and movements (Karliner
1997)
- growing public concern with environmental issues – more of the population wished to join
green-based movements
- green movements are radical – argue for changes in production practices, limits on growth
and corporate power and economic redistribution as a viable policy response – consequently
increasing public support posed a threat to corporations business
- 2 responses by corporations – the first was to make small environmental concessions to
appease the public’s concerns, second corportations engaged in public relations campaigns.
Example: McDonald’s bowed to pressure to eliminate the use of Styrofoam, secondly, they
used media campaigns to make them appear green – appeased publics desire for
strengthened environmental protectionism – depoliticized the idea of being green
- ‘Greenwashing’ – advertising to head off the development of a peoples environmental
movement
- Karliner (1997) – corporations have successfully employed this strategy as a response to
popular environmentalism – consumers encouraged to think and buy green – green practices
associated with advertisements rather than production practices
- Chevron corporation – well known for its environmentally destructive practices – developed
environmental advertising program that included a TV commercial featuring attempts to save
