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The Multi-Movement: an Ethnography of Occupiers and Occupying

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The Multi-Movement: an Ethnography of Occupiers and Occupying THE MULTI-MOVEMENT: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF OCCUPIERS AND OCCUPYING A Project Report Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Anthropology San José State University In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts By Hannah Hart May 2013 © 2013 Hannah Jeanne Hart ALL RIGHTS RESERVED SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY The Undersigned Graduate Committee Approves the Project Report Titled THE MULTI-MOVEMENT: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF OCCUPIERS AND OCCUPYING by Hannah Hart APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY ______________________________________________________________________ Dr. Roberto Gonzalez, Department of Anthropology Date ______________________________________________________________________ Dr. Charlotte Sunseri, Department of Anthropology Date ________________________________________________________________ Dr. Jan English-Lueck, Associate Dean, College of Social Sciences Date ________________________________________________________________ Dr. David Terry, Department of Communication Studies Date ABSTRACT This report documents a series of projects inspired by group and individual research on the Occupy movement in Northern California. In January of 2012, Hannah Hart, Kristy Keller and Bethany Grove undertook an ethnographic project, studying three very different Occupy groups utilizing the methods of participant observation and in-depth interviewing. The research group’s goal was to produce an ethnographic pamphlet comparing the different Occupy groups and make it available online, so it could be utilized by Occupiers willing to learn from each other, as well as people interested in becoming involved in the movement. But this small group project quickly transformed into a variety of projects utilizing different methods, theories and forms to unravel and illuminate facets of the local Occupy movement. These projects include: (1) A content analysis of Occupy websites utilizing quantitative methods; (2) An analysis of the tensions and complexities that complicate radical direct action in an environment dominated by representative democracy; (3) The process of writing an ethnographic pamphlet with three group members; (4) A letter addressed to the ritual of the General Assembly; and (5) A three act play following a fluid group of Occupiers over three General Assemblies. This multifaceted project report is a metaphor for the Occupy movement itself, since city-specific Occupy groups are composed of diverse participants, influenced by a variety of theories and ideologies, practicing different forms of activism, and constantly negotiating with their changing environments. Occupy is truly a multi-movement, and this project report seeks to elucidate many aspects of this phenomenon. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Since this project report is organized chronologically, it seems appropriate to thank people in order of influence. Thus, I first need to acknowledge my parents, as they instilled within me the drive, passion and work ethic to pursue this graduate degree and complete this project. I also would like to thank my husband, for letting me be me and supporting all of my choices regardless of the impact they might have on my sanity and our marriage. In regards to this particular project, I would like to thank Dr. Roberto Gonzalez and Dr. Jan English-Lueck for inspiring me to pursue this project and for guiding me through all phases of the research process. I wholeheartedly thank my research partners Kristy Keller and Bethany Grove for their dedication to this research and writing the ethnographic pamphlet; this project would look completely different without your help. I would also like to thank Dr. Charlotte Sunseri, Dr. David Terry and Quincy McCrary for allowing and encouraging me to write about Occupy in their classes, and providing valuable constructive criticism on my work. Finally, and arguably most importantly, I would be remiss if I did not thank all of our willing and inspiring research participants, without whom this project would not have been possible. v v TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction and Research Objectives………………………………………………...1 II. Review of the Literature……………………………………………………………....7 III. Research Methods……………………………………………………………………13 IV. Occupy California: A Quantitative Analysis of Local Occupy Websites…………....15 V. “We Don’t have a Shared Vision”: Fractionalization among Occupiers in the San Francisco Bay Area…………………………………………………………………..29 VI. Creating an Ethnographic Pamphlet……………………………………………..…..47 VII. Some Assembly Required: The Performativity of Occupying………………………50 Component 1: Letter to the People’s Mic……………………………………………51 Component 2: This is What Democracy Looks Like!: A Play in Three Acts…...…..65 VIII. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….....108 IX. References………………………………………………………………………..…110 X. Appendices A. Power, Ethics and Fieldwork in the Occupy Movement……………………….115 B. Occupying in California: Voices and Contexts (An Ethnographic Take on the Occupy Movement)……………………………………………………….……118 C. Unpacking Occupy’s Remains: A Comparative Analysis of Ephemera…….....179 vi I. INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES History of the Report For this first-year graduate student entering the graduate program in Applied Anthropology at San Jose State University in the fall of 2011, Occupy Wall Street was like a gift. On September, 17th, 2011, I watched YouTube after YouTube video of thousands of people flocking to Zuccotti Park in New York to fight for social and economic justice. Even more exciting was watching the movement grow and change over the first few months, inspiring mini-Occupies in nearly every city around the country and adapting to the overt pressures of law enforcement and the criticisms of the mainstream media. I wanted to see if the Occupy uprising was a passing fad, or a social movement with a strategic approach, flexibility and creativity that would withstand resistance from dominant political, economic and social forces. Either way, I was attracted to this cultural process and wanted to be part of it. I contacted members of my cohort and four expressed interest in working with me on a project to conduct participant observation and interviews with Occupy groups in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. While I originally envisioned my work with Occupy as a standard academic thesis, input from my research group and readings from my methods courses inspired me to utilize a variety of research methods (quantitative as well as qualitative) and pursue different forms of disseminating information, like writing an ethnographic pamphlet designed to be useful and publicly available for Occupiers, and also writing a play based on my field notes from General Assemblies. Given the diverse character of the Occupy movement, it seemed appropriate to disseminate information for different audiences: (1) An applied pamphlet for an audience of Occupiers (and anyone interested in becoming involved with the movement); (2) Articles for an audience of academics; and (3) A play for an audience of artists and theater-goers. 1 These categories are not mutually exclusive: For example, one of my research participants expressed an interest in reading the article that I was writing for the AAA conference. Since the Occupy movement is composed of a variety of stakeholders (hence the slogan “We are the 99%”), I felt a strong need to disseminate information in different ways in an effort to speak to diverse audiences. Over time, my problem statement and research approach changed. Problem Statement and Research Approach A critique of the Occupy movement is that it lacks a specific agenda (Garofoli 2012:A1; Rice 2011; Etzioni 2012; Sorkin 2012). My initial research question was whether this was Occupy’s biggest obstacle, or its greatest strength. The Occupy Movement is multi-sited, multi- generational and multi-ethnic, encompassing diverse experiences, viewpoints and projects. From participant observation, in-depth interviews and quantitative analysis, I argued that each Occupy group in every city has its own culture, and is composed of different stakeholders who are shaping the Occupy movement in unpredictable ways through dialogue and action. Since the Occupy movement is so diverse and multifaceted, it seemed appropriate to study the movement using both qualitative and quantitative methods, to use a combination of theories in the attempt to understand processes, and to disseminate information through a variety of mediums in an effort to speak to different audiences. My original research approach was to start with a question and a desire to contribute to an overall understanding of the emerging Occupy “culture.” With time, however, I realized that it was more appropriate to study local Occupy groups in different ways and disseminate information creatively. Since applied anthropologists often use a variety of research methods to find possible solutions to practical problems, I approached this project with a concern for: (1) the general public’s lack of understanding and acceptance of the Occupy movement; and (2) 2 relatively little inter and intra-Occupy learning and collaboration. Over time, facilitating more inter and intra-Occupy learning and collaboration through writing became my primary focus, as I saw infighting gradually unravel Occupy the Bay.1 The ethnographic pamphlet, which was a collaborative effort by Hannah Hart, Kristy Keller and Bethany Grove, uses the words of self- described Occupiers to illustrate the similarities and differences between the strategies, tactics, beliefs and values of participants
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