The depletion of the planetary ozone layer is a serious problem of global importance. The international agreement to eliminate ozone depleting substances, the Montreal Protocol, was adopted in 1987. Rather than focusing on the treaty and the consensus captured by this innovative agreement, this research focuses on patterns of social relationships, shared social experiences, and negotiated actions that result in implementation. Future environmental regulatory action will benefit from a social scientific understanding of the mechanisms of community building and maintenance, information flow, and institutional development that are fundamental to the implementation process. This research uses quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the structure of the ozone regulatory community, the social mechanisms that organize community action, and the effects of community structure and dynamics on the careers of ozone protection actors, the outcomes of regulatory negotiation , and future environmental protection. The quantitative component will use regression and network analysis of survey data to evaluate the structure of ozone regulatory field and the organizational designs for the future. In-depth interviews will be used to elucidate stories of essential uses and acceptable alternatives as well as career paths of the participants. %%% The depletion of the planetary ozone layer is a serious problem of global importance. The international agreement to eliminate ozone depleting substances, the Montreal Protocol, was adopted in 1987. Rather than focusing on the treaty and the consensus captured by this innovative agreement, this research focuses on patterns of social relationships, shared social experiences, and negotiated actions that result in implementation. Future environmental regulatory action will benefit from a social scientific understanding of the mechanisms of community building and maintenance, information flow, and institutional development that are fundamental to the implementation process. This research uses quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the structure of the ozone regulatory community, the social mechanisms that organize community action, and the effects of community structure and dynamics on the careers of ozone protection actors, the outcomes of regulatory negotiation , and future environmental protection. The quantitative component will use regression and network analysis of survey data to evaluate the structure of ozone regulatory field and the organizational designs for the future. In-depth interviews will be used to elucidate stories of essential uses and acceptable alternatives as well as career paths of the participants.
