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Cicekci, Nazli

University of British Columbia

Scholars have examined how social and economic factors make local governments ineffective and contribute to environmental crises. In response to these crises, which vary from activism to advocacy, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) have strived for environmental and social justice. Consequently, research into ENGOs has received significant attention in current literature. However, the current literature has failed to consider the role of faith-based organizations (FBOs), particularly churches, in promoting community participation and activism. Hence, by diverting the main focus from NGOs to FBOs, this thesis aims to explore the roles of churches as a faith-based organizations in developing community participation in Flint, Michigan in response to the water crisis. Employing a qualitative approach, the thesis engages in thematic analysis to understand the emerging role of churches and their effectiveness in developing community-based participation and collective political mobilization in the Flint water crisis. The research finds that churches are involved in the process and outcomes of community-based participation in Flint to various degrees. The thesis explores the implications of church involvement in facilitating desired community participation and policy outcomes and concludes by recommending further work to develop a complete picture of the role of churches in community development in Flint.

Text

2022-07-15

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/82147

Political Science

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/