GO GREEN AND GO HOME!
Part 2: Summary of research findings
Nancy Van Leuven, Ph.D.
Global Civic Education and Leadership Fellow
Center for Legislative Studies – Bridgewater State University

FINDINGS: MIX OF SOCIAL ISSUES
Sturdy, transplanted grass roots
Campaigns beyond tent cities, homelessness
Official nightmares: Memes, moving targets, challenges to laws

Face-to-face
interactions
+
Tagging-based
media,
live-streaming

NETWORKS OF MESSAGES
OWS: Come together!
Tar Sands Action: This is it!
Public officials: Go green and go home!

Actor rankings in OWS Sustainability Discussions
Social media:
TWITTER – 19362 links
Facebook, Foursquare, wearethe99percent.tumblr.com
DIY:
howtooccupy.org, occupytogether.org, wordpress.com
Niche audiences:
occupydesign.org, rockupy.org .orgoccupyeducated.org
Talk to the Man:
senate.gov (drums, permits, etc.)

Strategic campaigns inviting
public empathy, investment

Crisis comm: How to negotiate widespread distrust in government

Protesters Win in Public Arena
Solidarity of protesters vs.
Singularity of pepper spray
But do issues?

MEMES:
Oh, bother

Human Oil Spill at Speaker Boehner’s office
(Moves from economy to all justice)
December 14, 2011

Seattle: A clash of public spaces

Classes at Seattle Central
Community College:
“Why we support Occupy
(and Mother Earth”
“Legislative Lobbying”
“The Art of the Protest
Sign”
“Filming to Document
Human Rights Violations”

Multiple tribal
environmental
issues
Occupy
Wisconsin:
Support Band
River Tribe
fighting Penokee
Mine!

OPPOSING NEEDS
Successful movement
vs.
Peace/status quo
Case in point:
Shifting messages in Oakland

LEADERLESS TO CATALYTIC STRUCTURE?
Tar Sands --- 350.org
OWS winter offshoot: 99 Percent
(currently haunting G.E. and Wells Fargo)

Call to Action:
As did the Tea Party –
Small, active group,
Screaming at town halls.
Lost first fight,
BUT…captured momentum.

Large gulps of
conversations 
small sips of
online connections

Next up:
Tuesday,
May 1

STRUCTURES
Language ---> Political affordances
Technology ---> Political organization
Organizations ---> Cross-issue discourse
NEXT: Part 3, Discussion
All three presentation segments available at nancyvanleuven.com