Celebratory Parade Violence: an Exploratory Study of the Role of Impression Management and Deindividuation

CELEBRATORY PARADE VIOLENCE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE ROLE OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND DEINDIVIDUATION A dissertation presented by Tonn Q. Cao Submitted to The Department of Sociology and Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree of Doctor of Philosophy Northeastern University Boston, MA April, 2011 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This dissertation would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of individuals who contributed and extended their valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this study. First and foremost, I give my utmost gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Jack Levin, Co-Director and Professor at the Brudnick Center on Conflict and Violence at Northeastern University. Dr. Levin’s encouragement, supervision, and expertise from the preliminary to the concluding level enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject. I would also like to thank co-advisor, Dr. Steven Vallas, Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Northeastern University. Dr. Vallas had kind concern and consideration regarding my academic requirements, and extended his knowledge in aiding the completion of this dissertation. Additionally, I would like to show my gratitude to co-advisors, Dr. Gordana Rabrenovic, Associate Professor of Sociology and Education and Associate Director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University, and Dr. Richard Rowland, Associate Professor for Macro Practice of the Graduate School of Social Work at Boston College. Dr. Rabrenovic and Dr. Rowland were patient and steadfast in their encouragement to complete this study. Lastly, I offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of the project. Tonn Q. Cao 2 CELEBRATORY PARADE VIOLENCE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE ROLE OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND DEINDIVIDUATION by Tonn Q. Cao ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Northeastern University, April, 2011 3 ABSTRACT Each year, it is estimated that nearly 1500 incidents of violence occur during parades worldwide. However, little is known about the conditions in which these acts occur, particularly during celebratory parades. Traditionally, researchers in the area of interpersonal violence have attempted to explain acts of aggression in large crowds through the theories of deindividuation and impression management. This research sought to explore to which extent each of these two theories play in celebratory parade violence (CPV). This project has two components: content analysis and interactive interviews. The content analysis of 50 parades reveals general information about CPV not previously known. More importantly, it shows that men under age 25 are usually the perpetrators of CPV. The interactive interviews of 30 assailants present many interesting propositions. First, CPV tends to involve more impression management than deindividuation. Second, CPV with evidence of impression management typically involves just a few individuals committing the violence. The violence is goal oriented, generally intended to intimidate, to self-promote, or to exemplify. In contrast, CPV with evidence of deindividuation tends to involve a large number of people in an almost euphoric and mindless state, and the violence tend to be expressive. These individuals also report evidence of reduced accountability and reduced self-awareness. Furthermore, evidence of strains only appears in the impression management group, with acute strains acting as triggers. Additionally, all cases report alcohol consumption. However, strains and alcohol consumption must not be seen as root causes of CPV, but as variables that make CPV more likely to occur. 4 The conclusion posits that individuals engage in CPV more so through self-presentation than deindividuation, and they do so based on the context of their situations. Limitations of the present research and implications for future studies and practice are offered. 5 TABLE OF CONTENT Acknowledgment 2 Abstract 3 Chapter I: Introduction and Overview 8 Situating the Problem 8 Methodological and Theoretical Overview 10 Defining Celebratory Parade Violence 14 Dissertation Overview 16 Chapter II: Literature Review 17 Overview of Literature on Parade Violence 17 An Overview of Symbolic Interactionism 20 Impression Management 29 Impression Management and Masculinity 36 Deindividuation 44 The Etiology of Strain Theories 50 Alcohol and Aggression 58 Chapter III: Parade Etiology and Categories 62 History of Parades 62 Parade Categories 66 Chapter IV: Methods 70 Content Analysis 71 Interactive Interviews 73 Chapter Summary 75 Chapter V: Results 76 Quantitative Results: Content Analysis 76 Qualitative Results: Interactive Interviews 91 Evidence of Impression Management 94 Evidence of Deindividuation 111 Presence of Strains 119 Alcohol Consumption 122 Summary of Results 125 6 Chapter VI: Discussion 126 Cases of Impression Management 127 Cases of Deindividuation 130 Presence of Strains 132 Alcohol Consumption 134 Chapter VII: Conclusion 137 References 147 Appendices 161 7 Chapter I: Introduction Situating the Problem Few of us ever think that a celebratory parade could turn violent. When we do, we tend to remember high profile ones, such as the New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade of 2000, where over 60 women filed complaints about being molested. [T]wo teenagers from Long Island walked into the park and were surrounded by a group of 15 to 20 men at Simon Bolivar Plaza… . …[T]he men rushed the women, spraying them from plastic water bottles and squirt guns before groping them on the outside of their clothes. The older victim … was pushed to the ground. One attacker stole a pocketbook from the pair… . Within minutes, another attack began, apparently by the same group. …[A] couple from France on their honeymoon were surrounded by 25 men… . … The group splashed water on the 28- year-old woman… . The men chanted, "Soak her! Soak her!" Then the scene turned violent, as the men pulled off her skirt and underpants, and yanked two gold chains from her neck. …[T]he husband struggled to protect his wife, forcing his way into the crowd and lying on top of her until the group backed off. … (Chivers and Flynn, 2000, A:1). Violence erupting during celebratory parades is not confined to large cities. During the 2003 St. Patrick Day’s Parade in Holyoke, Massachusetts, a town with a population under 50,000, “…18-year-old Felix Rodriguez fired a gun seven times into the crowd as he took aim at a man he'd argued with earlier… . Police say he shot his alleged target, who remains hospitalized, along with three bystanders, two women and a man...” (Schweitzer, 2003). More than ever, celebratory parades are fast becoming a favorite past time for many Americans. For example, the Mardi Gras in New Orleans draws about 250,000 people each year (Mardi Gras in the United States 2011). The attendance for the Phillies Championship parade in 2008 has been estimated to be over 2 million (Phillies Parade). And, The Macy’s Thanksgiving 8 Day parades draw about 3.5 million people to its route each year with an additional 50 million watching from home (Suddath 2008). Furthermore, there is an increasing number of audiences who are viewing celebratory parades through the internet. With so much interest placed on celebratory parades, special attention needs to be paid to the violence that occurs during their processions. Unlike demonstrations, rallies and marches, celebratory parades are meant to be convivial gatherings and celebrations marking particular momentous occasions, such as holidays and homecomings. They attract hundreds, sometimes thousands of parade-goers to join in on their festivities. Some parades, such as the ones celebrating Mardi Gras, attract many youths looking for harmless fun, while others attract families and children, such as Thanksgiving Day parades. Thus, celebratory parades are peaceful and joyous; at least that is our notion. A search of major world publications on the LexisNexis News Database using the terms parade and violence revealed nearly 1500 results during the year of 2010 only. This indicates that there is a staggering amount of violence that occurs during celebratory parades each year; yet, we have very little information on celebratory parade violence or CPV. Why are celebratory parades such hotbeds for violence? What are some of the characteristics of CPV? What are the reasons that individuals commit CPV? What are the conditions that lead to CPV? Finally, what roles do alcohol and strain play in contributing to CPV? The purpose of this research is to explore these questions. 9 Methodological and Theoretical Overviews Traditionally, aggression theorists have turned to deindividuation and self-presentation when looking at collective behaviors, such as interpersonal violence that occurred during large scale events where crowds gather (Blumer 1957; Dodd 1985; Good 1992; Hayes 1992; Johnson and Downing 1979). This research explores how much each theory contributes to this violent form of collective behavior that occur during celebratory parades. Deindividuation has been described as a psychological state whereby personal restraints are lost as the individual experiences a psychological merging of identity with the crowd. People are no longer seen or paid attention to as individuals; rather, they experience a sense of anonymity amongst

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