Nonviolent Action for Social Change : Its Effects on Activists
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University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1986 Nonviolent action for social change : its effects on activists. Karen. Brandow University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Brandow, Karen., "Nonviolent action for social change : its effects on activists." (1986). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 4065. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/4065 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NONVIOLENT ACTION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: ITS EFFECTS ON ACTIVISTS A Dissertation Presented By Karen Brandow Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION February 1986 Education NONVIOLENT ACTION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: ITS EFFECTS ON ACTIVISTS A Dissertation Presented By Karen Brandow Approved as to style and content by: DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to Movement for a New Society for teaching me about nonviolence, to the Pioneer valley War Tax Resistance group and my coworkers in the Sanctuary Movement who have provided me with meaningful nonviolent work while writing this thesis, to my courageous friends in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala who are striving for peace and justice by whatever means they can, and to all those activists who came before me and will come after me, as we are bound together in the history of resistance that will always be. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Don, for encouraging me to hang in there and not turn in my resignation letter from the program. To Linda, Joanne and Felice, who got me though the many times I said, "What am I doing this for, anyway?" To Valerie for constantly marvelling at my capacity for production and concentration. To my mother, who provided my first and best model of making the best of what we have. iv ABSTRACT NONVIOLENT ACTION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: ITS EFFECTS ON ACTIVISTS 'February, 1986* Karen Brandow, B.S. William James College M.Ed., University of Massachusetts, Ed.D., University of Massachusetts Directed by: Professor Don Carew The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effects of nonviolent activism on activists in the United States peace and civil rights movements from 1943 to the present. Research addressing the positive and negative effects on activists as opposed to their adversaries or societal institutions is scarce. The areas of particular interest were effects on activists' self image and emotions, their relationships with others, their role in the larger society and their spirituality. Related questions included the influence of social background on the form and meaning of activism, and the dynamics of nonviolence as a creed versus nonviolence as solely a tactic. Findings were derived from 22 documentary studies and nine interviews conducted with a diverse group of activists. Respondents usually had several years experience with a v variety of nonviolent methods, and most had spent time m these activities. The coding of documents and interviews was guided by the literature on nonviolent theory and practice, the history of the peace and civil ricrhts movements, and others research on the effects of activism on activists. One major outcome of the study was that nonviolent theory and practice can include many more approaches than the literature usually indicates, with a broad spectrum of interpretations between nonviolence as a creed or tactic. The study confirmed previous research regarding a number of positive effects resulting from nonviolent activism, including personal, intragroup and spiritual empowerment. However, there were many more negative effects uncovered than have been previously reported in the literature, such as intragroup conflict, estrangement from family and friends, loss of meaning, and an array of negative emotions. Finally, it appeared that people for whom nonviolence was a creed experienced more positive and fewer negative effects of activism, while people for whom nonviolence was largely a strategy had very mixed and sometimes negative experiences. Findings from this study give indications of directions for therapists, educators and current political movements. Also noted are areas for further research. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication . Acknowledgements Abstract . Chapter . I. INTRODUCTION Purpose and Rationale .1 Dissertation Design and Overview .9 Definition of Terms .11 Limitations of the Study .14 Significance of the Study .15 II. CONTEXT OF THE STUDY .18 Introduction .18 Movement Histories and Determinants .19 Civil Rights Movement .20 Peace Movement .26 Two Movements Compared .32 Predetermining Factors .33 Nonviolence Defined .41 Methods of Nonviolence .42 Steps in a Nonviolent Campaign .43 A Tactic Versus a Creed .44 Research on the Effects of Activism .51 The Philosophy and Strategy of Nonviolence ..70 The Activists' Self and Emotions .70 The Activist and Others .79 The Activist in Society .85 The Activist and Spirituality .90 III. METHODOLOGY 93 Introduction and Overview . .93 Design Theory . .94 Criteria for Selection of Participants .96 Documentary Studies . .97 Interviews . 100 The Coding System and Process . 103 Data Analysis and Interpretation 109 vii IV. STUDY RESULTS AND ANALYSIS .m Introduction .m Activists Self and Emotions .j.13 Activists Relationships with Others .129 The Activist in Society .loO The Activist and Spirituality .i'l Secondary Questions .133 Conclusion .. V. DATA SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS & RAMIFICATIONS ..199 Introduction .199 Profiles of Activists .200 Long time believer in nonviolence .201 Recently active believer in nonviolence ..203 Follower of nonviolence as a tactic only .206 The Half tactic/Half creed activist .208 Major Findings .210 Ramifications for Various Groups .213 Therapists .214 Educators .216 Current Political Movements .217 Ramifications for Future Research .224 Conclusion .227 APPENDICES .229 A. Demographic Data on Study Participants .230 B. Introductory Letter to Activists .231 C. Interview Guide .232 D. Consent Form .2.35 BIBLIOGRAPHY .236 viii LIST OF TABLES 1. Conscientious Versus Pragmatic Nonviolence .48 2. Data on Experienced Activists .51 3. Data on Nonviolent Theorists .52 4. Data on Empirical Studies .53 5. Demographic Data on Empirical Study Subjects ....54 6. Researched Effects of Nonviolence on Activists ..70 7. Sources for Documentary Studies .38 3. Coding System Used .104 IX CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Statement of Purpose and Rationale for the Study The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the positive and negative effects of nonviolent activism for social change on the feelings, behaviors and values of activists involved in the United States peace and civil rights movements from 1943 to the present. Both movements were intensely active during this period, spawning numerous books, studies and articles. The literature on social science and nonviolent action has a number of deficits which this study addressed. Janis and Katz (1959) note that almost the last areas to be investigated by the social sciences are the constructive forces in human nature which reduce intergroup conflict. Research attention has focused on the destructive tendencies in human conduct, and present-day scientists feel inclined to leave research on positive forces to philosophers and social reformers. The great social conflicts facing us today involve world militarism and oppression, and these problems require constructive action on the part of United States citizens. As Deming (1971) states. We are all living now in a society so deranged that 1 2 it confronts us not only with the fact that we are committing abominable crimes against others - crimes we shouldn't be able to live with; it confronts us also with threats to our own existence that no people m history have ever had to live with before. And confronts every single member of society with these threats - even the most privileged, even those in control of things, or rather out of control of them. Lontront3 us, in the name of "defense" with the threat of nuclear annihilation. Confronts us m the name of "national profit" with the threat that our environment may be completely destroyed. And yet - we have to face the strange fact that most people are very much less terrified of having things continue as they are than of having people like us CactivistsD trying to change thincrs radically. < pp.263-264; There are a number of factors which can contribute to or result from an individual s reluctance to respond to these social problems which surround us. Duality Macy (1983) describes the "double life" that can result from focusing on business as usual on the surface while sensing danger underneath. This internal split can produce self-doubt, cut off sources of creativity and contribute to isolation. Instead of questioning society's sanity, we question our own. Freire (1970) describes this duality as it relates to oppression. The oppressed find they cannot exist authentically without freedom, yet they fear it. They are at the same time themselves and the oppressor whose consciousness they have internalized. 3 Passivitv As Sharp <1980) points out, most people in our society do not participate to a significant