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Henner Busch

Researcher, Docent

Henner cropped_again

Fuel for revolt – moral arguments as delegitimation practices in Swedish fuel protests

Author

  • Jens Portinson Hylander
  • Eric Brandstedt
  • Ellen Lycke
  • Vasna Ramasar
  • Henner Busch

Summary, in English

This article examines the role of moral arguments in the delegitimation of transition policies. Previous research has highlighted attitudes and arguments that explain resistance against transition policies, including perceptions of unfairness; inefficiency and effectiveness; lack of trust; and ideology. This article provides further understanding of resistance to climate policies by zooming in on how social movements implicitly and explicitly use moral arguments to delegitimise low-carbon transition policies. Through a qualitative interview study with members of a Swedish social media movement against low-carbon transport policies, we analyse central arguments against policies; how moral considerations figure in them; and how these strengthen argumentative delegitimation practices against transition policies in the transport sector. We show how moral arguments serve to legitimise protests both by instilling an urgency in the cause and generalising the demands to delegitimise mainstream transition policies, and suggest that recognition of this may contribute to both better analysis and policies.

Department/s

  • Department of Human Geography
  • Transport and Roads
  • Human Rights Studies
  • LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
  • LU Profile Area: Human rights

Publishing year

2024-03-24

Language

English

Pages

1109-1129

Publication/Series

Environmental Politics

Volume

33

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Routledge

Topic

  • Human Geography
  • Political Science (excluding Peace and Conflict Studies)

Keywords

  • Bränsleupproret
  • delegitimation
  • fuel revolt
  • just transition
  • Moral arguments
  • resistance

Status

Published

Project

  • Navigating Justice Claims: Between Riots, Strikes and Business as Usual

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0964-4016