Text Based Assignment #3

What are the primary emotions that the social movement you are following appears to encourage in its members?
I think there are many emotions in the Save Darfur movement that attract protestors. I think one of the emotions that attract people to the Save Darfur movement is love for mankind. Love for the victims of Darfur leads to compassion for these people that did nothing to trigger the horrific events that have happened to them, their friends, their homes, and country. I think love and compassion is responsible for drawing people towards this movement and is also responsible for keeping people involved. People can only imagine the plight of others and they develop a desire to help them (p.159). Grief, sorrow, and loss are other emotions that draw to people to Save Darfur. People who have been victims of past genocides, or people who know victims of past genocides, resonate with these emotions and Darfur. They have experienced these ‘sad’ emotions and perhaps by becoming involved, they believe they can prevent others from expienecing them. Fear and dread are also among the emotions present in the Save Darfur movement. James A. Jasper says that “fear and dread arise from a sense of threat to one’s daily routines or moral beliefs; they can paralyze but also be developed into outrage” (p.159). For me, knowing about Darfur is a threat to my moral beliefs and is the reason why I have continued to follow this movement for an over a year now. I believe in helping people who cannot necessarily help themselves. Darfurians cannot help themselves because they have no one to turn to. Their own government is responsible for supplying the weapons that are being used to kill them.
I took a class at Arizona State University called Genocide, The Holocaust, and Human Rights (JUS 394). The information taught in this class was about all the genocides that ever happened in the world. What was common with every case of genocide is: that when genocide is occurring, people/governments respond so slowly and it is always too late. It is not until years or decades later that we learn how this has affected our whole world, other cultures, history, and the future. Sudan is in Africa which is far from the United States. Many people say why should we (the United States) help them, where is Britain and France? My answer would be who cares about what other countries are doing, if we responded; everyone will surely follow or give us the necessary support we need to stop this. Sudan is a severely underdeveloped in the South meaning that most of it is desert or farm land. Sudan is also the home of the Nile River. Who knows what kind of cures lie in this undeveloped land and by the Nile? If we do not prevent these killings from continuing, Sudan will be a heap of metal and war after math. Then we will never know what this country could have offered to its own people or the world.
How do these emotions relate to the tactics being deployed by the organization?
Since the main emotions tied to the Save Darfur movement are love and compassion, the tactics used to get people involved are quite simple. I think the tactic is to get the word out any way you can: posters, T.V. shows, newspapers, magazines, websites, word-of-mouth-, etc. Once people know what’s going on, they cannot help wanting to become involved. A year ago, I knew something bad was going on in Africa, but I did not know exactly what was happening. I asked my friends, parents, and even some professors at ASU and no one could give me a ‘for sure’ answer. Now that I know what’s occurring here, I let everyone I come into contact know. I have ignited emotion in many of my friends and family members who have then gone online to sign the Save Darfur Petition and purchased Save Darfur clothing. Today, I was standing in line at the gas station and a man in front of me was about to buy a 2 liter of Diet Coke (this is a true story). The line was super long and I knew I had a few minutes to wait so I said to the man, “Sir, did you know that by buying that Diet Coke you are supporting a company that is contributing to genocide?” He did not know what I was talking about or how to even respond, so I just kept talking. I told him about China’s involvement with Sudan, how Coca-Cola is sponsoring the Olympics this summer, etc. Right before it was his turn to make a purchase, the man traded in his Diet Coke for a Diet Pepsi. I felt victorious. That’s all this movement needs is to get the word out because once people really know what’s going on, they cannot help but involve their emotions. Who knows how many people that man will inform about Darfur? Whether it is one, ten, or none, I got the word out.
Does the “face” the organization puts forth to the public differ from that presented to members or potential recruits? If so, how?
I do not think the Darfur “face” differs in public from the one that is presented in private. In other movements, like the Gay Rights movement, I could see the public face being different than the one presented to members. Perhaps the way they talk to one another in a meeting is different than the way they speak to each other in a public setting or public protest. If they would have acted like they did in private, people may find it offensive and may not want to support the movement based on that sole fact. I do not believe this is the case for Darfur. Since the Save Darfur movement is so globally recognized, it must have the same ‘face’ everywhere.
Concentrating on Bernstein’s and Jasper’s chapters, how do the emotions and tactics that currently are sanctioned in the social movement you are following, i.e., the “strategic deployment of identities” in that social movement relate to the larger social structure (or culture) in which the movement is taking place?
I think politics have definitely played a role in making the movement known in societies since President Bush will be out of office in a few months. The movie Darfur Now hits theaters November 2nd, 2008. Only two days before the Presidential election. I believe they planned to release the movie around this time because people will be aware of the situation and will want a President who will help these people. Darfur will be advertised all around the time of the Summer Olympics in August and then the movie Darfur Now around election time; October/November.
Rallies are a tactic that has lost its popularity, at least with the Save Darfur movement. There are some rallies, but they are only in big scities in the United States like Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., New York, etc. I think rallies are not that popular anymore because people do not have time. American lives are hectic and people want to use their spare time to relax. It’s easier for someone to jump on the internet at home or at work to make a donation or buy a hat. You can pay with a credit card, it takes under ten minutes, and you feel good about it afterwards. The internet is also used to provide people with factual, day-to-day information. This can help keep people emotionally involved because they know what is going on with movement and with Darufr. Because mass media keeps people so well informed, calls do not need to be made to tell people about a protest or movement meeting. Now a person can just send out an e-mail because they will have everyone on a mailing list.
These tactics were chosen over others due to their efficiency. The internet and mass e-mails are quick, easy, and low costs which allows for more time to be focused in other places than communication. Movies are also a great way to reach people. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth made Americans and Congress realize we need to change our ways because we are damaging earth. Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 was very successful and made people question the President, his intentions, the events of that day, and our War on Terror. The craze of reality shows on television has pushed its way into the movie sector of our society which is what makes these movies so popular.