“Generating Commitment Among Students”

1. “Generating Commitment Among Students” Eric Hirsch

2. Political Solidarity Political Solidarity and Recruitment Political Solidarity: identify with or support for a cause is key to getting people involved. Impact of Group Process (94) Mobilization can be explained by looking at influ. of several group-based processes: 1) Consciousness-raising 2) Collective empowerment 3) Polarization 4) Group decision-making

3. Political Solidarity Consciousness-Raising (94) It involves a group-based discussion where beliefs are created or reinforced. It can be used to: 1) Communication the legitimacy of a cause 2) The need for certain tactics, 3) The failure of traditional politics. Limits: Rarely takes place among: Socially marginal groups Rational calculators

4. Political Solidarity Collective Empowerment (95) It is the exp. Where recruits gain a sense of the potential power of a SM. Polarization (95) Can have both a positive and negative effect Negative: creates distance between sides Positive: can create a sense that individual and group fate is tied together.

5. Columbia Divestment Campaign Collective-Decision-Making (95) It can make people feel bound by collective decision, if they were able to have a say in the decision-making process. The Columbia Divestment Campaign: A Case Study (96) There was a three week long blockade of the Hamilton Hall (classroom and admin building).

6. Columbia Divestment Campaign Collective-Decision-Making (95) It can make people feel bound by collective decision, if they were able to have a say in the decision-making process. The Columbia Divestment Campaign: A Case Study (96) There was a three week long blockade of the Hamilton Hall (classroom and admin building).

7. Columbia Divestment Campaign Collective Empowerment: The Initiation of the Blockade Coalition for a Free South Africa (CFSA) which was started in 1981 sought to raise awareness about the political situation in South Africa. They were moderately successful.

8. Columbia Divestment Campaign Consciousness-Raising They used a variety of types of setting for CR sessions: 1) Dorm rap sessions, forums, teach-ins. 2) Traditional Means: 3) Pushed and rec unanimous consent of faculty, student senate, but 4) Board of Trustees ignore them.

9. Tactics Traditional Means: Pushed and received unanimous consent of faculty, student senate, but Board of Trustees ignore them. More Radical Tactics: Fasts, Blockade (97) Numbers grew with the danger of the event.

10. Who Participated? Who participated in the Blockade Many who participated were not previously active. (9 % prior to Blockade, 37% part in Blockade) Source of Mobilization: 1) Stds thought it might work. 2) Motivated by sacrifice of std CFSA leaders, SF students.

11. Who Participated? Polarization and Increased Commitment (99) University reacts aggressively: 1) President sends letter calling blockade illegal 2) Challenges its legitimacy 3) Threatens students with expulsion. 4) Dramatically raised the stakes Students fated became fused to groups fate: they resisted University scare tactics.

12. Conclusion Collective-Decision-Making and the End of the Blockade (100) The University waited the students out: as week dragged on, the students decided to end blockade.