Effectiveness of disruptive climate protests: A survey in real time provides answers
Effectiveness of disruptive climate protests: A survey in real time provides answers
Unconventional and top -class climate activists
can increase public support for traditional environmental protection groups, according to an unprecedented study that analyzes the closure of the most busiest motorway in the United Kingdom by activists.
This study is the first to use the real, timely reaction to the public to an actual protest to the
"Radical flank effect"
to test. This says that the subversive edge of a movement can make regular activists appear more sensible. Many activists are convinced of the existence of this effect. So far, however, social scientists have only evaluated this hypothesis by surveys with artificial scenarios or through the examination of past examples, such as the effects on the financing of US citizens' rights movement.
"The debate on the effects of disruptive protests was largely determined by people's intuition and gut feeling," says Markus Ostarek, co -author of the study and research manager at the social change LAB, a non -profit organization in Cardiff. The results were today in
Nature Sustainability
1
published.
In 2022, activists of the Great Britain-based climate action group forced the closure of the London M25 motorway for four days. Before the campaign, the activists informed the social change LAB staff about their plans so that the research team could capture the mood of the British residents before and after the campaign.
The researchers surveyed 1,415 people to support Friends of the Earth - an environmental group who prefers more conventional tactics such as lobbying and complaints - as well as their support for the government's climate policy. According to the protests, the percentage of respondents, the information on supporting Friends of the Earth at least partially, increased 3.3 % compared to the blockade.
The increase in support for Friends of the Earth was "moderate", but the results are potentially "quite relevant and implementable," says Ostare. When disruptive protests take place, moderate groups can "use these moments of high dynamics to negotiate with decision -makers," he continues.
However, the researchers found no statistically significant effect on support for climate -friendly suggestions, such as the end of exploration of new
fossil energy sources
through the British government.
Eric Shuman, social psychologist at New York University in New York City, says that the study is valuable because it shows that "the effects we see in experiments match what we get in reality". He and his colleagues tested the radical flank effect by interviewing people who saw fictional news articles about violent and non -violent protests. A stronger support for the moderate environmental group was measured when a rebellious group was presented in contrast
2
.
However, other studies have shown that
disruptive protests the support
can reduce
for an overall movement
3
. Although further studies are necessary to evaluate the idea, attention -based protests can "increase the size and power of the moderate group," says Shuman.
-
Ostarek, M. Simpson, B., Rogers, C. & Ozden, J. Nature Sustain. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01444-1 (2024).
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dasch, S. T., Bellm, M., Shuman, E. & van Zomeren, M. Glob. Environ. Psychol. 2, E11121 (2023).
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Feinberg, M., Willer, R. & Kovacheff, C. J. Personal. Social Psychol. 119, 1086–1111 (2020).