King, Mariah Dawn, authorMumme, Stephen P., advisorHochstetler, Kathryn, committee memberDaum, Courtenay W., committee memberDeMirjyn, Maricela, committee member2007-01-032007-01-032010http://hdl.handle.net/10217/40468The frequent gap between de jure and de facto arrangements within South American judicial systems suggest that an institutional focus is not enough to understand effective access. This dissertation uses a constructivist approach to measure judicial access for the environmental and gay and lesbian social movements in Chile and Argentina through examining the effect of societal, individual justices' and social movement activists' perceptions on the social movements' level of de facto judicial access. I find that while individual justices' perceptions of the social movement seeking rights can certainly affect the outcomes of cases, it is the external cultural variable of societal perceptions that more directly influences activists' own perceptions about using the judicial system. Societal perceptions (public opinion) can affect activists' decisions when choosing which political avenues, if any, they should use to gain rights - hence expanding or contracting their level of de jure judicial access.born digitaldoctoral dissertationsengCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.justiceGLBTenvironmentChileArgentinaaccessPolitical questions and judicial power -- ArgentinaRule of law -- ArgentinaSocial movements -- ChileSocial movements -- ArgentinaRule of law -- ChilePolitical questions and judicial power -- ChileText