Protests May Say More About Protestors Than About What They Object To

Aggie Daily (TAMU) ^ | 03/26/2003 | Texas A&M University

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

Protests May Say More About Protestors Than About What They Object To      COLLEGE STATION, March 26, 2003 - As the price of war continues to mount, both in lives and dollars, so too do the protests, but the act of protesting may say more about the protestors than it does about the subject they are demonstrating against, according to a study by Texas A&M University's Laboratory for Studies of Social Deviance.      Laboratory director Howard B. Kaplan says protesters may be attempting to reduce negative feelings about themselves that have been caused by repeated experiences of rejection and failure in conventional membership groups. In other words, participation in protests may allow participants to view themselves more positively.      The subjects of Kaplan's study were drawn from a panel of seventh graders studied at several different points between adolescence and young adulthood. The original sample consisted of seventh graders randomly selected from the Houston Independent School District. Data was later collected from the same subjects when they were in their twenties.       "Working with these particular subjects, we have found a significant relationship between issues of self-rejection and increased likelihood of engagement in social protests," says Kaplan, who is a distinguished professor of sociology.      Kaplan, who has studied social deviance for more than 30 years, speculates that participation in social movements can signify the rejection of these conventional standards under which the individual may have been judged a failure. By viewing the cause of the protest as worthy, the individual judges himself as worthy, he explains.      "By participating in a protest against their society's norms, the individuals are attempting to destroy the standards by which their failure occurs," Kaplan notes.      In addition, participation in protests can increase one's sense of power to produce results, he adds. Goals that were previously unattainable become more attainable by virtue of collective action, and participants are positively viewed by those around them who share their same standards, Kaplan notes.      Key to Kaplan's work is the fact that only where a person's emotional ties with conventional membership groups are severely weakened will participation in social protest activities have self-enhancing effects.      Kaplan says the adoption of deviant patterns, like protesting, is not likely to have a self-enhancing effect if the individual continues to judge himself according to conventional standards.      Normally, Kaplan says, an individual continues to be emotionally tied to the conventional standards of his environment, including those that define the acceptability of positive behavior.      But where experiences of rejection and failure are overwhelming and also associated with membership in a conventional group, the individual's emotional ties are weakened, Kaplan explains. The individual will then be able to adopt a deviant response pattern that will reduce negative self-feelings without causing a negative self-judgment, he notes.      For individuals who do not feel alienated, Kaplan notes, engaging in protest activities might actually evoke negative self-judgments, overriding any self-enhancing aspects that might have been associated with participation in the protest. Contact: Ryan A. Garcia (979)845-4680, via e-mail: rag@univrel.tamu.edu or Howard B. Kaplan (979)845-2411, via e-mail: h-kaplan@tamu.edu. 03/26/03

[Pukka Puck]

Gig 'em!

[Gary Boldwater]

This clearly shows the root of Communism. Great post!

[BlueLancer]

Then gag 'em.

[Ga Rob]

"we have found a significant relationship between issues of self-rejection and increased likelihood of engagement in social protests,".....

Self rejection?? I guess that would be the same as the dreaded "low self esteem"?

What a bunch of wimpy,femizized,cry baby, spoiled brats we have become in this country. It just irkes me to no end!!!!

[Question_Assumptions]

This is why I've always said that 1 conservative protester is worth 100 liberal protesters. When conservatives go out and protest, they do it to defend the prevailing social standards and they need to be really motivated to do it.

[Servant of the Nine]

This is wonderful.
Finally anti-war protesters are being studied in te right place.

SO9

[Servant of the Nine]

I hope this is posted on DU. It will make their day.

SO9

[Marylander]

Hmm..mm.. Great point.

We defend prevailing standards ... and ...it can now be told: We're way beyond our twenties.

[atomic conspiracy]

Thomas Frank examines the same basic issues from a rather different perspective in his landmark The Conquest of Cool. This focuses on the advertising industry, marketing, the nature of conformity, and how the first two exploit the last. His conclusion, that "radicalism" in American society is largely a product of commercial "illusion of distinction" propaganda, is quite consistent with the Texas A&M research, and a damning indictment of the counter-culture and the anti-war movement. The whole mad culture that incites terrorists, and encourages dictators and post-modern nihilists, is little more than an advertising gimmick run amok.

[Jaded]

They did miss one small part of this group: the rich-over-indulged-bored children. They are always in search of something new. Something that will shock. Something that will cause others (usually the same sheeple) to follow them. Then they get bored again. Fortunately, for most this mentality only last through high school and college.

[rocky88]

"Laboratory director Howard B. Kaplan says protesters may be attempting to reduce negative feelings about themselves that have been caused by repeated experiences of rejection and failure in conventional membership groups. In other words, participation in protests may allow participants to view themselves more positively."

I love it. THOSE WHO CAN'T DO...TEACH. OR PROTEST!

Does anyone know of a nationwide college newspaper organization that exists? Wouldn't it be fun to have a copy of this delivered to every college newspaper editor? I bet the more conservative editors would print it. I could just picture the protesting students reading this article in their own college papers...what a great slap!

[rocky88]

"Fortunately, for most this mentality only last through high school and college."

Or for life if you happen to work in Hollywood...

[RogerWilko]

Somebody get over there and post it! I want to see the clueless, ignorant socialists throw a fit! Anything that's makes them unhappy, makes me happy!

[Howlin]

protesters may be attempting to reduce negative feelings about themselves that have been caused by repeated experiences of rejection and failure in conventional membership groups. In other words, participation in protests may allow participants to view themselves more positively.

At last a "shrink poll" about "feelings" that I can agree with.

Let's cut to the chase: they're losers.

[atomic conspiracy]

"the rich-over-indulged-bored children. They are always in search of something new."

Exactly. According to Frank (and anyone else with advertising know-how), this group, and those who seek to be part of it, are especially responsive to "illusion of distinction" advertising, as a way of asserting their superior status in a society where material luxury is accessible to all but the poorest citizens. Not coincidentally at all, this same group is notoriously likely to participate in what are perceived to be "radical" activities of one kind or another.

[Nucluside]

Bump!

[P.O.E.]

The "cool" aspects of the 60's were co-opted, both at the time and ever since.

The civil rights movement was co-opted by leftists, who railed against "the establishment" - it was all bad because it had supposedly only thrived due to racism.

A lot of movements from the 60's have been since been marginalized. For example, the move to a simpler, non-commercial lifestyle. This left little room for mass-produced "themed" items and the "next big thing". It's been co-opted by the so-called environmentalists into a militantism not usually characteristic of "nature lovers". Never mind the fact that most people still live quiet lives of hard work, family, spirituality - that's no longer considered "cool".

Notice how the early 70's do not seem to exist in cultural references - it goes from the hippie 60's to the disco mid-70's.

Notice also how you NEVER hear about the "brotherhood" aspects of the 60's flower power. "Good vibes" have been frozen into a "don't hurt anyone's feelings" multiculturalism. According to the current media vibe, it's not PC to feel joy.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

fascinating, but not surprising.

[Mr. Jeeves]

"By participating in a protest against their society's norms, the individuals are attempting to destroy the standards by which their failure occurs," Kaplan notes.

As a one sentence summation of Leftist thought, this sentence is brilliant.