In class last week, we discussed whether protests were ever successful and how their success is measured. Our guest this week showed the class that protests are just “one tool in the toolbox”. It must be part of the campaign arc within the movement in order to have a successful attempt at change. She explained that her job is more about the logistics of a social justice movement rather than just taking to the streets. A protest cannot just be put together without a base or an objective. It is important for organizers to design a strategy of how to obtain your goal. This statement contradicts the statements made by our guest speaker of the importance of goals. She stated the goals need to be obtainable and specific. It is difficult to measure the success of a protest without these goals. These goals need to be agreed upon by the group. Without this cohesion, many different messages can come out of protests, which would blur the message. As the reading stated, this was a criticism o...
It was obvious our speaker knew a lot about the polling work she does and about the history of think tanks. She seemed to be the Jane-of-all-trades at the think tank where she works and that was an inspiring role to see. Additionally, her insight into the history of public opinion allowed the class to hear about the continuity, change and contradictions over time in the United States that I didn’t get from the reading. The continuity in polls over time has been on topics concerning foreign affairs and religion. However, there has been slight changes recently. The subtle increase in the number of Americans who believe we should stay out of war seems to be related to the Trump administration. We have always had a religious country, but since the growth of generation Z and millennials, the number of people with no religious affiliation has grown. One of the more notable progressive changes that has occurred over time is the support for a women president. The belief that a woman could...