Catherine Coppola
Word Count: 950
Participant Observation: Protest
The qualitative research method I conducted this week was a participant observation. The basis of my research was the GSS variable PROTEST which asks “Over the past 5 years have you done any of the following to express your opinion about an issue or your support for a cause - Join a protest rally or march.” For this research, I participated in a multi-issue protest on the Fresno State campus on March 4th, 2014. I marched with 40-50 other students around the campus for roughly an hour, taking notes using the comprehensive principle for observations.
The protest took place outdoors on the Fresno State campus and was led through and around the perimeter of the campus. It began in the Free Speech area, extended around Parking Lot C and by Shaw Ave, returned down E San Ramon, and ended back in the Free Speech area. The Free Speech area was set up with tables containing informational displays about the various causes being protested as well as a refreshments table with drinks and snack food. The signs for the protest- poster board attached to two-by-fours- were stacked behind the tables. Many students were behind these tables, carrying backpacks and waiting around for the protest to begin. I fit in easily as a student carrying a backpack, and felt very relaxed. Some began randomly picking up signs without being prompted, which led others to follow suit and the signs to be distributed. Students looked through the signs, choosing which cause they wanted to support, exchanging with people they knew and taking pictures of each other holding signs. I picked up a sign with “Wind/Solar” on it supporting clean energy alternatives. I was asked by several people to take pictures of them holding signs using their phones, and I was happy to comply. I asked these people why they were participating in the rally and they said they were in a class and participation meant extra credit. At this time before the marching began, people seemed to be in good spirits if restless. I also sensed there was some confusion about how the event was supposed to begin during the uncoordinated distribution of signs. The weather was warm and I was anxious for the protest to begin.
Dr. Kubal announced the beginning of the protest and led the group east through the center of the campus. I was excited to have the protest start and took up a spot in the middle of the bunch with two classmates. Students raised their signs, many putting the poles in their backpacks to have their hands free. I held my sign, sometimes holding it in my elbow as I took notes. The crowd was about 3-4 people wide and condensed when the sidewalk narrowed. For a crowd of about 50, they were fairly quiet. Many were simply marching stoically forward, set on simply finishing the march, while others were conversing with those immediately around them. They talked about school work, friends, other people in the protest, the different signs they were holding and their involvement in the event beforehand. The weather was warm for late winter, and many people were taking off sweatshirts and using the signs as sunshields as the walk continued. Some commented on the fact and wondered about where the route would lead around the campus. Some were occasionally taking pictures of the protest with their phones. As we moved by the parking lot and cars honked, people would cheer and wave their signs briefly, but quiet down quickly. The group would intermittently divide between a front and back section which seemed to be due to the walking pace people were comfortable with, with faster people leading. The group dispersed more as the walk continued and was not as compact of a group by half way through. During the walk, people appeared to be happy to march for the cause their signs supported, if not emblazoned with the righteous energy that usually accompanies protests of this scale. The goal appeared to be to finish the protest and show support for a cause rather than inspire any specific group to enact any change which was apparent. Upon finishing the protest and arriving back in the Free Speech area, people piled their signs up and signed forms to indicate their participation. Most appeared satisfied to have participated and were talking and laughing with each other as they waited. I felt similarly satisfied, even though I did not feel like the protest had any real impact on solving these issues. I think it was beneficial to those who participated to be part of a protest for the first time and advocate in a way they had not previously.
Compared to the GSS survey, my findings were fairly consistent with conclusions on previous participation in protests. Of the seven females and four males I asked, only one had ever been part of a protest, about 9% of my sample. This is roughly equivalent to the expected 5% that would have participated before according to the GSS survey. If I had increased my sample size to include more of each gender, I could have more comparable data for that subset as well. However, the nature of my participation (walking while holding a sign) made a less than ideal situation to try to talk to people and take notes. A tape recorder would have been preferable for this type of participant observation where the activity is not stationary and partly requires your hands. Overall, I found participating in this event enjoyable as an opportunity to interact with those protesting for the first time while observing and listening to their accounts of the experience.
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