Bullets or Barricades: Psycho-social Factors in Nonviolent Action

• In Event: The Psychology of Violence

Abstract

To what degree does participation in nonviolent action meet the same psycho-social needs as participation in violent extremist groups? And why do some people join revolutionary nonviolent protest movements despite the high potential costs of doing so? While there is a growing literature on the individual-level factors that lead people to join violent extremist movements we know little about motivations for joining and individual-level participation dynamics in nonviolent action. This is a crucial gap, as participation in nonviolent action may be a potent substitute for addressing the grievances that motivate participation in violent extremism. In this paper we present the results of two exploratory surveys, conducted among participants and non-participants in revolutionary nonviolent movements in Algeria and Lebanon. Survey respondents were asked a battery of standard questions associated with aspects of participation in violent extremism. We find broad overlap between factors motivating participation in violent extremism and nonviolent action, but with several distinctive differences that open new areas for research.

Authors

• Leanne Erdberg Steadman, U.S. Institute of Peace

• Michael Carlos Niconchuk, Beyond Conflict

• Fouad Pervez, Georgetown University

• Jonathan Pinckney, United States Institute of Peace

• Maria J. Stephan, International Center on Nonviolent Conflict