Promoting Peace and Peace Activism

1
Promoting Peace and Peace Activism

• Winnifred Louis
• School of Psychology, University of Queensland

2
Acknowledgements

• This research was supported under the Australian
  Research Council's Discovery funding scheme
  (project number DP0663937).
• Dr. Leda Blackwood, School of Psychology, St.
  Andrews, Scotland
• Carla Barnett, School of Psychology, University
  of Queensland, Australia

3
Outline

• Introduction
• Key points to target agreement, awareness,
  intentions to act, action
• Sustaining membership gratification, success,
  values, alternatives
• The Brisbane Activists study
• Psychologists for peace
• UQ peace psychology
• Discussion psychological barriers and motives

4
couch potato problem
Mobilizing for a peace rally in the Netherlands,
1980s
Klandermans Oegema (1994)

• Did not agree with goals (26)
• Agreed with goals (74)

• Not aware of rally (15)
• Aware of rally (59)

• Did not intend to go (49)
• Intended to go (10)

• Did not go (6)
• Attended rally (4)

5
Why stay an activist?

• Its gratifying
• Friends, peers -gt social support
• Benefits like learning skill development
• Its working
• Perceiving successes
• Matching expectations
• It expresses important values identities
• A stake in the work x no attractive alternatives

• Very important to beginning activists
• Activist ID fostered by action
• Group IDs norms reinforce or conflict
• Other soc movt competitors?

6
Peace activism vs other activism heartbreaking,
abstract, future-oriented, universalist

• The relative avoidance of positive peace work

• Responsibility
• Commission gt omission
• Issues in the public eye
• Costs gt benefits
• Present gt future
• Close gt far
• Concrete, immediate effects and control

7
The 2008-9 Brisbane Activists Survey

• Time 1 online survey
• 58 volunteers
• Mean age approximately 43 years (18 - 75)
• Predominately female (74)
• 42 different organisations represented with group
  membership ranging from less than 1 year to over
  20 years
• approx. 20 are members of other organisations
• Time 2 online survey
• 49 volunteers
• Time 3 online survey
• 42 volunteers

8
Individuals beliefs promoting intentions
Disseminating info/educating people Political lobbying/election campaigning Doing nothing
M 5.11 (1.96) 3.57 (2.12) 2.20 (1.78)
Belief society is hard to change (-3 to 3) 0.04 (1.01) -.46 -.50 .35
Belief own action is important (1 to 7) 5.91 (1.26) .29 .15 -.20
Perception action is beneficial to self - .35 .42 .46
plt.05 plt.01 Numbers in parentheses are
standard deviations
9
Individuals emotions and intentions
Disseminating info/educating people Political lobbying/election campaigning Doing nothing
Emotions Determined, purposeful 4.86 (0.96) .28 .16 -.27
Emotions Angry, outraged, disgusted 3.67 (1.60) -.21 -.18 .07
Emotion Calm, hopeful 3.10 (1.29) -.10 -.04 .16
10
Collective factors
Disseminating info/educating people Political lobbying/election campaigning Doing nothing
Identification with group 5.77 (0.77) .26 .16 -.27
Belief can achieve goals through collective action 6.22 (1.04) .63 -.18 .07
Belief many others will act collectively 5 (1.21) .32 -.04 .16
11
Collective factors, continued
Disseminating info/educating people Political lobbying/election campaigning Doing nothing
Group approval of related behaviour - .01 .38 .29
Benefit of behaviour for group - .31 .30 .05
12
Promoting action involves

• Beliefs and Emotions of the individual
• Society can change
• Your action matters
• Action benefits you
• Determination
• But not necessarily anger

• Group culture
• Meaning, belonging, pride - identity
• Others approval of particular actions
• Learning to believe in the benefit of particular
  actions for your group

13
Time 2

• 47 of respondents reported had acted in support
  of their groups goals
• 53 did not
• 87 of respondents indicated that their group had
  acted in support of the groups goals
• 13 of groups did not

14
We asked people to think about how their group
had high or low power

• When power was low people reported more
  determination (M 5.81)
• Compared to high power (M 4.64)

This is a highly functional reaction (though
intentions didnt change). But what about
beginning activists?
15
Time 3

• 33 of respondents indicated they had engaged in
  activities in support of their groups goals
  (esp. disseminating information and educating
  people)
• 66 had not
• Identification -gt intentions

16
Time 3 other findings

• Past action -gt higher future intentions
• Greater perception of group approval of the
  behaviour -gt higher future intentions
• Perceptions of opponent approval had no impact on
  future intentions
• Personal and group benefits -gt higher future
  intentions
• But group factors were more important

17
Psychologists for Peace

• An interest group of the Australian
  Psychological Society
• Google psychologists for peace cool
  initiatives and resources
• Peace podcasts
• Incl pamphlets and posters feedback welcome!

18
UQ Peace Psychology

• 5 day workshop July 6-10, in Brisbane led by Dan
  Christie
• Activism academia peace forum Monday July 13
  1-5pm
• Seeking activists speakers and audience!

19
Psychology of Peace

• Beliefs
• Emotions
• Behaviours

20
Thank you!