Protesting Is Good For You?

The International Socialist Organization has health advice

RESEARCHERS AT the University of Sussex in Britain argue that taking part in protests can be good for your health.

[...]

[Dr. John] Drury said that people tended to gain a fell of well-being as a result of their collective interaction with others.

Other newsmedia outlets (including the FREE YOURSELF FROM CORPORATE RUUUUULE!!! variety) have taken up the story. Initial Sussex press release.

Apparently, "protests can help people overcome stress, pain, anxiety and depression." This is because " the positive experience of feeling part of a group which can have a good effect on your health."

As much as I'd love to join in on this warmly multilateral health-love, I found something worth emphasizing:

The results emerged from in-depth interviews with nearly 40 activists from a variety of backgrounds. Between them, they had more than 160 experiences of collective action involving groups of demonstrators protesting against a range of issues. These included fox-hunting, environmental damage and industrial matters.

Volunteers were asked to describe what it was about taking part in such collective action that made them feel so good.

"Nearly 40"? The entire thing is based off not even forty "in-depth" interviews of protesters? The interview was conducted by asking them to describe why they enjoyed protesting? Does anyone else sense the fathomless bullshit in this?

Especially when Drury mentions things like:

"Collective actions, such as protests, strikes, occupations and demonstrations, are less common in the UK than they were perhaps 20 years ago," says Dr Drury. "The take-home message from this research therefore might be that people should get more involved in campaigns, struggles and social movements, not only in the wider interest of social change, but also for their own personal good."

I have an idea to validate his theory!

We gather together all the tobacco tycoons, Big Oil corporate sloths, shallow advertising agencies, corporate news moguls, slave labor textile titans, forest-slaughtering paper companies, everyone in the Wal-Mart hierarchy who makes more than $35,000 a year, the complete boards of directors of a few companies (Enron, Arthur Anderson, and WorldCom for starters), and the NRA and put them all in a large conference hall. There, they can "campaign" in a new "struggle" for a better "social movement" in order to advance the "wider interest of social change" so they can have the uplifting "fell of well-being" other collective action groups enjoy. At the very least, they'll experience the "feelings of encouragement and confidence" that come from "collective action."

They can then march on the headquarters of Greenpeace, the UN, the SEC, The Independent, the IRS, the webmasters of each Indymedia website, and do their protesting thang. I bet with all that high-powered financing, the signs would look really neat! However, I don't expect to see much presence from Hollywood. 'tis a shame.

I'm sure such unity of purpose, such multi-faceted collective effort would promote so much understanding and outward affection as to implode the universe with irony of a density higher than that of depleted uranium.

Posted by Drizzten at January 31, 2003 02:57 PM