The Power of Nonviolent Movements for Change: Nonviolent movements have a higher success rate than violent methods for effecting change on a large scale. Erica Chenoweth's research challenges the belief that violence is necessary to achieve desired outcomes.
Violence is not always the most effective means to bring about change. Mass movements for change have been more successful than violent methods and have implications for individuals and nations. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, has researched extensively on the effectiveness of nonviolent strategies for effecting change. This research is significant in understanding the real factors that bring about radical change, considering it an alternative to the commonly held belief that violence is the surest way to bring about desired outcomes.
Nonviolent Resistance as a Powerful Political Tool: Armed insurgency isn't the only way to bring about political change. Nonviolent resistance can also be highly effective, offering new possibilities for creating a more peaceful, just world.
The belief that violence and war are necessary or inevitable for political change is a common cultural assumption. However, research shows that nonviolent resistance can be as effective, if not more effective, than armed insurgency. This perspective challenges the idea that power only flows from the barrel of a gun, as there are many other methods of political expression available. The study of nonviolent resistance as a tool for social and political change offers new possibilities for creating a more peaceful and just world.
Can non-violent resistance be more effective than violent revolution?: Researchers are comparing non-violent and violent resistance seeking radical goals and hope to provide an objective measure of their effectiveness, which has until now been anecdotal.
Can non-violent resistance actually be more effective than violent revolution? Researchers plan to find out by collecting data from every country in the world and comparing comparable cases of primarily non-violent and violent resistance seeking radical revolutionary goals. To achieve this, the campaign must have achieved its outcome within a year of the peak of its mobilization and had a decisive impact on the outcome achieving what it said it wanted. The results could provide an objective measure of the relative effectiveness of the two strategies, something that has, until now, been anecdotal.
Non-Violent Movements: The Key to Enacting Change: Non-violent methods are more successful than violent ones in bringing about change. The use of humor and theatrics, as seen in the Otpor movement, can lead to tactical innovation and widespread adoption. Encourage non-violent movements and discourage violent ones.
Non-violent movements are actually more effective in enacting change than violent movements. Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan analyzed hundreds of cases of conflict in rebellion starting in the year 1900, comparing the history of violent insurrections with nonviolent campaigns for change. They found that the people who used non-violent methods were far more successful than the people who used weapons. The Serbian organization Otpor, famous for using humor and theatrics in their anti-Milo evi protests, utilized a method called a dilemma action, which became a tactical innovation and a technique that is now used in a much more widespread way. This signifies that nonviolent movements should be encouraged and that violent movements should not be endorsed.
The Power of Humor and Non-Violent Resistance in Challenging Oppressive Regimes.: Humor and non-violent resistance can break down oppressive narratives and lead to successful democratic movements. Examples from Morocco and Sudan show the effectiveness of these methods.
Humor is a powerful tool that can be used to break down narratives and challenge autocrats. The importance of humor was exemplified by a group of protestors in Morocco, who attached flags to cats and released them into a crowded area, creating a scene of absurd political theater. Additionally, non-violent methods such as general strikes, stay-aways, and mass demonstrations were effective in overthrowing the brutal dictator of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir. The Sudanese Professionals Association utilized a wide range of tactics to mobilize a broad base of supporters and ultimately establish a democracy. These examples highlight the power of humor and non-violent resistance in challenging oppressive regimes.
Power of non-violent movement in toppling authoritarian regimes.: Non-violent movements can achieve lasting change by disrupting day-to-day order and strategically extending non-violent battlefield, without resorting to violence that can decrease public support.
The success of a non-violent movement in Sudan demonstrates the power of mass non-cooperation and disrupting day-to-day order in toppling authoritarian regimes and achieving a transition to democracy. It also shows that non-violent movements need to extend the non-violent battlefield into constituencies upon whose cooperation the regime depends. However, dabbles in violence can severely impact public opinion and result in decreased support for the movement. It's important to maintain non-violence and strategic tactics to achieve lasting change.
The Importance of Expanding Support and Avoiding Violence in Nonviolent Resistance Movements.: Nonviolent resistance movements must prioritize expanding their base of supporters and avoiding violence, as violence can alienate potential third-party supporters. Increasing diversity among supporters and links to different pillars of support is crucial for success.
Nonviolent resistance movements need to expand their base of supporters to succeed, but turning to violence can alienate potential third party supporters. Small movements trying to expand their base are more at risk when turning to violence. Regimes often try to deliberately provoke nonviolent movements into breaking down their discipline in order to bolster their own legitimacy and calls for law and order. Nonviolent protestors also recognize that repression reduces government support and legitimacy. Both sides are trying to divide and rule the other, dislocating them from their pillars of support. Increasing diversity among supporters and links to different pillars of support is crucial for nonviolent resistance campaigns.
The Power of Non-Violent Resistance: Why it's Twice As Effective: Non-violent campaigns are more likely to succeed than violent ones, due to mass participation, strategic innovation, and organizational resilience. They can undermine the power of opponents and win political fights with sympathetic but inactive supporters.
Non-violent campaigns are twice as likely to succeed as violent campaigns and the rates of success for non-violent campaigns had actually increased over the latter half of the 20th century and into the beginning of the 21st. Four key factors that explain why non-violent movements appear to be increasingly more effective than violent insurrections include mass participation, the ability to divide and rule the opponent, the ability to tactically innovate, and the development of organizational resilience and discipline. These factors enable non-violent campaigns to shred the loyalties of people in pillars of support, undermine power for the opponent and win a political fight among people who may be sympathetic to the movement but not actively supporting it. The findings suggest that non-violent resistance is working more than skeptics would have expected
Mobilizing 3.5% of the population and avoiding violence can help a social movement succeed, but discipline and organization are also crucial factors.: Social movements need a critical mass of support to succeed, but resorting to violence can backfire. Organizational cohesion and discipline are also important for achieving goals.
Mobilizing about 3.5% of a population is a key factor in the success of a social movement, but it's important to note that this rule is more of a rule of thumb rather than an iron law. Additionally, violence can have short term tactical effects, but it often alienates potential supporters, expands government powers of repression, and creates unity among security forces rather than encouraging them to consider the movement's goals. Organizational cohesion and discipline are also key factors that help movements succeed.
Debunking Myths About Nonviolent Resistance: Nonviolent resistance can be a successful strategy for social and political change, but misconceptions and myths prevent its recognition. Understanding its rich history is crucial for recognizing its power as a viable means for achieving change.
Violence often polarizes and hardens opposition, while nonviolent resistance can be a successful strategy for achieving social and political change. However, there are misconceptions and myths surrounding nonviolence that prevent its recognition as a strategic tool. Nonviolent resistance has a rich history of shaping nations and the world, including the American Revolution. Recovery of this history is crucial for understanding the power of nonviolent resistance as a viable means for achieving change.
How to Change the World
Recent Episodes from Hidden Brain
You 2.0: Fighting Despair
Every morning, you wake up and face the world. What does it look like to you? Do you see a paradise of endless opportunities, where people are friendly and helpful? Or a world filled with injustice, where people cannot be trusted? In the final installment of this year's You 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Jamil Zaki about how we become disillusioned and distrustful of the world, and how to balance realism with hope.
Did you miss any of the other episodes in the You 2.0 series? Make sure to give them a listen here or on our website:
- You 2.0: The Gift of Other People
- You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time
- You 2.0: How To Say No
- You 2.0: Remember More, Forget Less
And if you like today's conversation with Jamil Zaki, be sure to check out our earlier conversation with him, "The Empathy Gym."
You 2.0: Remember More, Forget Less
It happens to the best of us — we blank on someone's name, or forget an important meeting, or bomb a test we thought we'd ace. In this week's installment of our You 2.0 series, we talk to cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham about the mysteries of memory: how it works, why it fails us, and how to build memories that stick.
For more of our You 2.0 series, listen to our episode on how to say no.
You 2.0: How To Say No
Saying no to someone who asks for something is often easier said than done. Maybe it's a boss who wants you to take on a new assignment. Or your kid's teacher, seeking volunteers for a field trip. Or a friend who asks you to lend her money. How should we respond to these demands on our time, energy, and resources? This week, psychologist Vanessa Patrick explores why it's so hard to say no, and how we can set boundaries that will make it easier to do so.
If you haven't yet caught the first two episodes in this year's You 2.0 series, you can find them in this podcast feed, or on our website:
You 2.0: The Gift of Other People
You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time
Thanks for listening!
You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time
Many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably feel like we're letting someone down. But what if there were a way to reclaim our time and, as a result, get more joy out of our lives? In the second episode of this year's You 2.0 series, psychologist Cassie Mogilner Holmes explains how we've fallen victim to the illusion of time scarcity, and what we can do to spend our time more wisely.
If you enjoy today's episode, check out last week's kick-off to our series, "You 2.0: The Gift of Other People."
You 2.0: The Gift of Other People
Are you someone who strikes up a conversation with the person next to you on the train? Or do you keep your eyes fixed on your phone? Do you offer gratitude to friends and family? Or do you assume that they already know how you feel? This week, in the kickoff to our annual You 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Nicholas Epley about our interactions with other people, and how we can make them more rewarding.
If you enjoy today's episode, check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes:
You're Not the Boss of Me!
Whether in your personal life or at work, you've probably experienced what it’s like to have people reject your requests. To be told that what you want is unfair, or heavy-handed. And you've likely been in the opposite position as well — pushing back against requests that step on your freedom. This week, we talk to psychologist Benjamin Rosenberg about how we respond to infringements on our sense of autonomy, and how we can avoid sparking this resistance in our interactions with other people.
If you know someone who would like today's episode, please share it with them! And if you enjoy our show, please consider trying a free seven-day trial of our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. If you use an iPhone, you can sign up at apple.co/hiddenbrain. If you use an Android device, you can find Hidden Brain+ at support.hiddenbrain.org. Thanks for listening!
The Cure for Self-Importance
When we meet new people, we’re often drawn to those with a commanding presence or a dazzling personality. But it turns out that a very different trait — humility — is important in the long term. This week, in the first of a two-part discussion, we talk with psychologist Daryl Van Tongeren about different kinds of humility, and how this overlooked quality can play a powerful role in workplace dynamics and romantic relationships.
If you like today's episode, be sure to check out part two of our conversation, exclusively for Hidden Brain+ listeners. We talk with Daryl Van Tongeren about existential humility — being open to the idea we might be wrong about life's biggest unknowns. It's the episode called "Asking the Big Questions." To listen to Hidden Brain+ with a free seven-day trial, go to apple.co/hiddenbrain or support.hiddenbrain.org.
Where Truth Lies
When we think about misinformation, we often focus on blatant errors or deliberate attempts to deceive us. But in recent years, social scientists have found that misinformation comes in many flavors — many of which are far more subtle than obvious falsehoods. These forms of misinformation prey on our mental blindspots, and take advantage of our passions and loyalties. This week, economist Alex Edmans explores the many insidious forms of misinformation, and how we can all get better at separating fact from fiction.
For more of our work, please consider joining our podcast subscription. Hidden Brain+ is where you’ll find exclusive interviews and deeper dives into the ideas we explore on the show. You can try Hidden Brain+ with a free seven-day trial at apple.co/hiddenbrain. Or if you’re an Android user, sign up at support.hiddenbrain.org.
How To Be Alone
We're always told to reach for that next ring, work that third job, go to that boisterous party after a long day at work. You only live once ... right? But psychologist Netta Weinstein says that when we constantly engage in achievement and distraction, we lose something essential about ourselves. This week, she makes a case for solitude, and examines what happens when we seek a quieter, more reflective interior life.
If you like today's episode, check out our two-part series on mindfulness:
Changing Our Mental Maps
As we move through the world, It's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like an autopilot system, allowing us to navigate our lives more efficiently. But sometimes, they can lead us astray, leaving us stuck on a path of negativity and unhappiness. This week, we talk with Norman Farb about how we can update our internal maps and see the world more clearly.
If you like this episode, be sure to check out part two of our chat with Norman Farb for Hidden Brain+. That episode is called "Making Sense." You can try Hidden Brain+ for free with a seven-day trial by going to support.hiddenbrain.org or apple.co/hiddenbrain.
Related Episodes
How to topple dictators and transform society (with Erica Chenoweth)
The original meaning of “identity politics” (with Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor)
The Snowball Effect
Why do some companies become household names, while others flame out? How do certain memes go viral? And why do some social movements take off and spread, while others fizzle? Today on the show, we talk with sociologist Damon Centola about social contagion, and how it can be harnessed to build a better world.
Why grammar is least important
Upping Your Email Effectiveness - Part 1 of 3
Welcome to the first of a three-part series designed to help you be more proactive and effective.
In this episode I share an approach to crafting email subject lines that have more impact.
Effective subject lines clearly communicate the action you expect or want the recipient to take.
It’s effectively cuing the person - saving them time and mental energy as they scan their inbox.
This simple approach uses square brackets that show the abbreviated action or keyword.
Square brackets stand out visually so the cue will be clearer
Implementing this approach requires you to be proactive. Incorporating this approach will require you to discuss with your exec to agreen on the abbreviations are that you’re going to use.