Running head: WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST?

Why Do People Protest?

Morgan C. Targhetta

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 2

Abstract

This paper addresses and attempts to answer the question: why do people protest? Initially

looking at scientific reasonings for why someone would protest, there are ideas like individual

satisfaction and social interactions that are explored. All of these reasonings are made through

psychological approaches. The inquiry question is then taken and looked at from a different view

with the use of another question, why should people protest? This question is dissected and

further connected directly back to the initial inquiry question through the use of a personal

interview example. In the interview example, I explore the reasonings behind a personal friends

choice to protest in a Black Lives Matter movement that happened last fall.
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 3

Why Do People Protest?

Protesting is an action that appears to constantly be taking place. People often use

protesting as a way to become heard and to bring attention to certain causes or issues. But what

specifically causes people to do it? Is there a specific reason? Why does someone choose to

protest? There has to be motivations behind why someone would choose to involve themselves

in an event that will most likely draw attention and can even become violent. Those motivations

are what I am out to understand. I believe that understanding and knowing the motivations for

why someone does something is just as important as the action taking place. Yes, someone can

protest, but what is his or her reasoning? I figure that it is time for me to find out.

To begin, I want to make a disclaimer that I know absolutely nothing in depth about

protesting. Yes, I am aware of some of the main protests that have taken place in the United

States (that is because I live in the United States and have access to media), but I have never

been involved in a protest and am deeply unaware of most everything that has to deal with

protesting. That is the very reason that I am writing this paper, to become at least somewhat more

knowledgeable about protesting. The type of protesting that I am referring to in this paper is the

walking on streets and holding posters kind of protest, because that is the kind that I am most

aware of. With that being said, if I incorrectly state something or make a claim that you see as

false, feel free to correct me, for you probably know more about protesting than I do.

With protesting, there are so many obvious answers that can be retrieved when plainly

asking why a group of people would protest; maybe for reasons of making a statement, or to

obtain rights, but often times observing the different motivations behind each person in a protest

is overlooked. People can protest for just about anything; they can protest for political issues, for
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 4

human rights, or for equality. The most recent outlooks on why people protest have looked into

the science side of this topic.

Psychology is a science that studies the human mind; specifically, psychology takes a

look at the driving forces behind our actions, it looks at our rationale. Psychological perspectives

have given quite a different outlook on why people protest, while also giving answers that can be

scientifically supported. The first approach that I want to look at is the individual psychology

approach. This approach is claiming and observing how our wants as individuals are what can

drive us to protest. Farouk Radwan (2017) introduces an idea that each person protests to meet

individually different psychological needs. We as individuals have drives that we push to meet in

order to become satisfied, these are psychological needs. In Radwans claim he explains that our

psychological needs play a role in explaining the reasons why we protest. An example of these

psychological needs would be an attempt in trying to find ones identity, or submitting to peer

pressure so that one could fit in with a group of friends (Radwan). One psychological drive to

protest that Radwan discussed that I found interesting was the suggestion that some people

protest due to their feeling of no control. In psychology, this is referred to as the external locus of

control. This is when someone feels as if they have no control of a situation and there is nothing

that he or she can do about it. Radwan states, Some governments are really corrupt that they

hardly allow people to succeedsome people have messed up lives and as a result they want to

find anyone to blame for their misery. Now, I do not want you to view this as a claim that every

person protests due to the fact that he or she feels like they have a pretty bad life and want to

blame it on some other driving force rather than themselves, because that simply is not true, but

rather as a suggestion for why some people really do protest. Radwan made some pretty bias and
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 5

harsh claims in his article about protesting and made it extremely apparent that he does not seem

supportive of protesting.

On the contrary though, I found another article on protesting that used psychology as

support for the claims that were made. This author used a different psychology-based approach

and she seemed much more supportive of protesting. Jacquelien van Stekelenburg (2015),

approached the motivations for protesting by observing social psychology which is a branch of

psychology that focuses on a humans interactions with society. After all, how we act and feel

has a lot to do with the society that we reside in. Stekelenburg proposes four factors that attribute

to wanting to protest: grievances, efficacy, identity, and emotion. Though she breaks down these

four topics individually, she makes a point to explain that these four factors are all intertwined

and work dependently on one another (Stekelenburg, 2015). For example, a group of people

begins with a grievance, something they are upset about, and because they are able to identify

with one another they are more likely to come together with their similar emotions and act on it.

This claim that she made makes sense. Understanding the overall emotion of the group plays a

role into understanding the individual roles and feelings of each individual involved in the

protest. Stekelenburg ends her article focusing then on something she calls social embeddedness.

Social embeddedness explains how ones feelings and experiences can be taken and applied

within social groups in which everyone feels similarly about something (Stekelenburg, 2015).

People are given a community in which they can feel comfortable in and share freely in--so why

not protest with them? Stekelenburgs approach, unlike Radwans, views the group as whole

rather than each individual that makes up the group. Both of these views play an important role

in understanding why someone protests, explaining that there are multiple reasons that can

contribute to protesting and it ultimately depends on the approach that is being used when
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 6

addressing this question. Your view can change and be warped on whether or not you want to

look at the individual more or look at the group more. I believe that it is impossible to find exact

answers without addressing both perspectives. Highlighting the importance of the group,

Stekelenburg makes a good point. The type of protesting I am referring to when asking the

overall question of why people protest is the one where groups gather and publically make

claims and gestures. A key word of this type of protest is group. Stekelenburgs approach to

protesting and angle on the group gathering as a whole is an important perspective. Yes, the

individuals make the whole, but it is the power in number that can make protesting effective. The

larger that gathering the more attention brought, the larger the group the more intense the

emotions and expressions.

No matter the size of the group or the subject being advocated or challenged, there can

still be hesitation with protesting. One hesitation that I feel personally is the fear that nothing will

be changed. Yes, the protest will cause attention to be drawn, but will it change what I am

ultimately out to change? Sometimes I believe the answer is no. In contrast to the hesitation that I

can sometimes feel, Thomas Fann (2012), writes with the argument that everyone should protest,

specifically those in America. With the rights that we have been given as American citizens, he

sees no sense in choosing not to protest or to advocate for our beliefs. In his article, Fann lists off

ten reasons why we as Americans should protest; among the list a few include protesting being

our constitutional right, it being a form of checks and balances, and it being democracy in action

(Fann, 2012). His examples and explanations show protesting, at least in America, as simply

doing something that we are allowed to do. We are taking the opportunity that we have so freely

been given and doing something with it. Though his article was formatted to explain why people

should protest and not explaining why people do protest, I found very useful insight in his article.
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 7

Viewing reasons of why someone should protest can help relay to seeing the reasons of why

some people do protest, many of the reasons can be the same. I saw this connection in my

personal interview.

I now want to introduce you to Chris Williams. Chris is my friend that I met at the

beginning of the school year. Also a freshman here at the University of North Carolina at

Charlotte, we met due to the coincidence that we live in the same on-campus housing

development. Chris is a goofy guy. He is the type of person who likes to joke around and be

playful all the time, never is he not laughing. Chris is also an African American. From the

moment that I met him, I had never seen him be serious. That was until Keith Lamont Scott, an

African American male, was shot and killed by a police officer in a neighborhood adjacent to the

UNC Charlotte campus last fall. Almost as instant as the gun was shot did the rioting and

protesting begin. And just as quickly, Chris got involved. I remember seeing snapchat stories of

the streets being crowded with people, cops making walls almost as if they were creating some

sort of fence to herd the rioters in. I remember the local news talking about nothing but this

shooting for days. The times were intense and heated. So was Chris. When I began this project, I

immediately thought of him, I remembered his involvement in the protests and riots that took

place following the death of Keith Lamont Scott. I wanted to ask him why, I wanted to

understand what caused him to go. What was his call to action?

I began the interview with asking for a description of that night. Immediately the

adjective crazy came out of his mouth. Following with a detailed story, Chris was able to give

me a lengthy synopsis of that night from beginning to end, his eyes becoming wider and wider as

he was remembering events and scenes that he still was in shock about .He revealed to me

horrific scenes of broken hearts mixed with tear gas, cries of anger mixed with fights, and the
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 8

gathering of people mixed with pepper spray (C. Williams, personal communication, March 26,

2017). Throughout the duration of the interview, Chris would pause and repeatedly say, It could

have been me (C. Williams, personal communication, March, 26 2017). When I hit Chris with

the question, Why did you do it? he quickly replied without hesitation. Chris explained to me

that when something so personal to you happens and you have the ability to actually do

something, that you just have to do it. He made sure to emphasize and explain the word have

to me. There was no hesitation with his choice or the concept of maybe I will go, he described

to me a feeling where there simply was no other choice, he had to go (C. Williams, personal

communication, March 26, 2017). This was the first time in the entirety of my research that I

could really feel like I was experiencing the emotions that a protester feels--thus helping me

understand why someone really does choose to protest. Chris openly argued that we (American

citizens) have been given a voice and that we all should be unafraid to use it. Like the time he

protested, he was unafraid, his protection did not matter, and the matter at hand overshadowed

every selfish reason for not going (C. Williams, personal communication, March 26, 2017).

Thomas Fann explored the reasons of why someone should protest and indirectly addressed the

reasons for why some people do protest. Chris Williams explored the reasons for why he

protested and indirectly addressed the reasons for why people should protest. Chris told me why

his people (African Americans) should have protested that night, and in that claim, showed me

the reasons why he protested.

Each persons call to action can be different, and each persons reaction to that call can be

different. Not everyone has to react to an event or their emotions by going and walking a street

with signs, some choose to advocate differently. Protesting takes place in many forms, and in the

form that I looked at in this paper, I have found many new eye opening claims and ideas. Prior to
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 9

this project, I had never heard of awareness for protesting or advocating for a protest, but now

after researching, I can say that I very well could be that someone advocating for protests and the

awareness of protests. Protests can be powerful and can be positive, and I have only come to this

conclusion by analyzing and empathizing with my sources. Answering the question of why

someone would protest has shown me understanding. With all my sources and research I did not

come out with just one main point or conclusion, but rather new questions and several new

understandings. The complexity of motivations are hard and thus make it difficult to pin-point

and find a specific answer for my question. However, I am pleased with what I have found and I

am satisfied knowing that I have learned. It is hard to accept something that you do not

understand, and now that I understand just a little bit more about protesting and why someone

would protest I feel so much better about my understanding on the topic. There was no exact

answer to my question and that is okay. Each individuals driving forces for why he or she chose

to protest can be different, and yes these reasons matter to an extent. They matter on the basis of

psychology and for reasons like me trying to understand as someone who knows very little about

protesting; but no matter the reasons for why people protest, the true point is that protest is

powerful and that it will continue to happen. There is power behind the action of protest and I

strongly believe that. Behind every aspect of protesting, and in whatever form it takes, protesting

has impacted and will continue to impact society and the people within it.
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 10

References

Fann, Thomas. (2012, September 18). 10 reasons why you should bother to protest. Retrieved

March 24, 2017 from http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/209191

Radwan, Farouk M. Why do people protest? (the psychological drives behind protest &

revolutions). Retrieved March 24, 2017 from

https://www.2knowmyself.com/Why_do_people_protest_and_start_revolutions

Stekelenburg, Jacquelien van. (2015, November 30). People protest for many reasons, yet we

dont know how effective protests are. Retrieved March 24, 2017 from

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/how-effective-are-protests/

Reflection
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 11

1. What was the most interesting thing you learned in this inquiry process?
The most interesting thing that I learned through the duration of this inquiry project is that I may
not find an exact answer. Particularly, with my topic, I went in with the expectations that I would
indeed find the specific answers for why people protest, and though I found some, there is no
way that I can discover every single reason why for all the individuals that have protested. I
learned that there are other lessons that can arise in the inquiry process besides the direct answer
to the inquiry question. I gained new opinions and views due to this project and that is ultimately
the biggest lesson.
2. What did you struggle with during the research and/or writing process? How did you
overcome this obstacle?
My greatest struggle in this paper was making sure that the formatting was correct. Matching my
sources and the content to the proper APA format was difficult and I am still unsure if I did so
properly. In order to make sure that I formatted the paper correctly I used the sources, examples,
and websites that you, Dr. Rand, gave us and tried to follow them step-by-step.
3. Did your inquiry question change over time? If so, how did it change, and why do you
think it changed?
I do not think that my inquiry question changed over time but I rather saw myself coming to a
different conclusion than I originally thought. I initially believed that I would write this paper,
get my answers to my question and then move on. Rather, I got my answers to my question, and
saw my opinion on protesting change. I have become less hesitant about the topic and now see
myself advocating for it more than ever.
4. Why is it important to look at the context of your topic/question?
It is extremely important to look at the context of your inquiry question just because of how
specific it needs to be. Open-ended questions are difficult to research for because there can be so
many results that come up. Looking at the context of your topic can help you zero in on a
question that is more specific. It is also important to analyze and think about the context of your
question so that if you need to address any counterarguments or other ideas you can do so. For
example, for my question it was necessary that I set parameters around my question. These
parameters consist of how I define a protest, where specifically in the world I am talking about,
and the type of protest that I want to talk about. This made it easier for me to use my sources to
support my argument rather than to have them confuse my question and make it harder for me to
discuss.
5. Do you think your analytical/evaluation skills have changed as a result of the inquiry
project? If so, how?
I do believe that my analytical/evaluation skills have changed as a result of this paper. In this
paper, unlike any other that I have ever written, I saw my voice come out immensely. In previous
papers, when writing about a source I see little to none of my own voice shining through. But in
this inquiry paper specifically I saw the interaction with my sources and I saw myself being able
to connect my sources successfully because of my added opinions.
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 12

6. What are you most proud of in this process?

In the entirety of this process I am most proud of my opinion shining through. Even if the paper
makes no sense to anybody but me, I feel that I have written a strong paper with a strong
conclusion and argument. I have learned from this project and that was my initial goal.
Answering this question was fun because while answering the question I was able to put my own
personal thoughts and ideas into the answer and I enjoyed that.
7. What more would you like to know about this subject?
Moving forward on the topic of protesting I would like to learn more about the dynamics of how
one works. I want to explore from beginning to end, the process of putting a successful protest. I
imagine that there are so many obstacles and tasks that go into the process and they would be so
interesting to learn about.
8. Please comment on how you contributed positively to your writing group, and how
feedback from your peers helped you revise your work.
My writing group was a very quiet group compared to some of the others in the room; but I do
not think that it was any less due to the quietness. The work that was produced was quality and
whenever communication occurred it was effective and well done. I contributed to the group by I
believe being one of the louder voices and contributing ideas that would snow-ball into other
ideas. Me and one other group member talked substantially in comparison to the other twobut
I do not want you to think that since the other two were quieter that they were any less a part of
the group because that simply is not true. They contributed in other ways and were great group
members. The feedback that all of my peers gave me throughout the process of writing this
inquiry paper was great. Their encouragement and suggestions helped me to find my argument
and voice in the paper. Their edits really made my paper much stronger than it was originally. I
am really thankful for my group and the work that they did throughout this time and the amount
of attention that they gave my work.
WHY DO PEOPLE PROTEST? 13