Non-Violent Protest and the 3.5% Rule - a Ray of Hope

[icehorse]

Summary: The article claims that when 3.5% of a population participates in non-violent protests, they are quite effective at causing societal change. I find this gives me hope.

The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Interesting...I have no doubt that nonviolent means can cause significant change in a society...

Still, I would have to see the actual research to buy into this variation on the snowball effect or tipping point or critical mass or whatever you'd want to call it.

 

[icehorse]

Interesting...I have no doubt that nonviolent means can cause significant change in a society...

Still, I would have to see the actual research to buy into this variation on the snowball effect or tipping point or critical mass or whatever you'd want to call it.

The research described in the article seemed pretty legit to me.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

The research described in the article seemed pretty legit to me.

as did the ted talk...but a general media article and a ted talk at not the original research, nor the body of knowledge which the researcher was seeking to enrich.

As a social scientist, I'm wary of any measure of humans behavior that try to be as fine as this assertion of 3.5 percent...especially when the units of the variables are not particularly well defined, which from what I read, don't seem to be.

You are aware, aren't you, that a study can be legit, and still be incorrect, or incomplete?

 

[Stevicus]

Summary: The article claims that when 3.5% of a population participates in non-violent protests, they are quite effective at causing societal change. I find this gives me hope.

The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world

Sometimes it works. It seems to depend on the country and type of government. It didn't work in China.

Some of it also depends upon the cohesiveness of the regime and the loyalty among the rank and file. Many of the examples in the article appeared to be smaller countries where they're beholden to some larger power. So, if one of our puppets doesn't appear to be working out, we can always find some ambitious type within the military to be a "man of the people," and the cycle begins all over again.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I wonder what percent Hong Kong is at?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Summary: The article claims that when 3.5% of a population participates in non-violent protests, they are quite effective at causing societal change. I find this gives me hope.

The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world

Well it didn't help Tibet that much.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I think there are likely quite a few variables beyond 'percent of population involved in non-violent protest' that affect whether and how much success a movement might have...