Working
Papers
Occupy Wall Street
The movement in its third
anniversary
Daniel Blanche (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Antonio Calleja-López (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Arnau Monterde (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Working Paper
Working Paper Series WP17-002
Research group: Communication Networks & Social
Change (CNSC)
Research group coordinator: Manuel Castells
(IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Submitted in: November 2016
Accepted in: November 2017
Published in: November 2017
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de Catalunya
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table of contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 6
1. Background and conceptual framework. ............................................................ 6
2. Research goals. .................................................................................................. 7
3. Methods. ............................................................................................................. 8
3.1. Data collection and processing. ............................................................. 9
3.2. Basic characteristics of the sample. .................................................... 10
4. Results. ............................................................................................................. 12
4.1. The OWS movement and me. ............................................................... 12
4.2. Issues and political participation before OWS. .................................. 14
4.3. Uses of ICTs. .......................................................................................... 17
4.4. Emotions related to OWS. ..................................................................... 21
4.5. The evolution of OWS. ........................................................................... 24
4.6. OWS and institutional politics. ............................................................. 26
4.7. OWS impacts. ......................................................................................... 28
5. Conclusions. ..................................................................................................... 33
Acknowledgments................................................................................................. 36
Bibliographic references ....................................................................................... 36
Annex 1 ................................................................................................................. 39
Annex 2 ................................................................................................................. 64
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3
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Occupy Wall Street
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
The movement in its
third anniversary
Daniel Blanche (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Antonio Calleja-López (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Arnau Monterde (
[email protected])
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Recommended citation:
BLANCHE, Daniel, CALLEJA-LÓPEZ, Antonio,
FERNÁNDEZ-ARDÈVOL, Mireia, MONTERDE, Arnau
(2017). "Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third
anniversary" [online working paper]. Working Papers, Issue
2017. Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. DOI:
10.7238/uocriwp.v0i1.3
Abstract
The emergence of networked social movements in 2011 has opened a new door in the social movements’
literature. By adopting a technopolitical and situated approach, in this paper, we explore the case of the
Occupy Wall Street movement three years after its formation in September 2011. Through an online survey
and a nonprobabilistic sampling procedure, we pay special attention to the perceptions and opinions of the
movement’s participants. We distinguish seven thematic sections: the relationship with the movement,
previous political participation and motivations, the use of information and communication technologies
(ICTs), the emotions experienced, the evolution of the movement, its influence on institutional politics, and
its impacts on several aspects of social life. The results show that the respondents (N=522) are overall
adherent to the movement and that the majority participated at some point. Most think that the movement
still exists in one way or another, and perceive its impact on several areas, institutions, behaviours, and ideas.
We conclude by describing OWS as a case that adequately fits the concept of a networked social movement.
Finally, we suggest further developments in the understanding of these movements by further applying the
online survey designed for this study and complementing analyses via other research methods.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Keywords
Occupy Wall Street, Networked social movements, Technopolitics, Information and communication
technologies (ICTs), USA
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Introduction
In 2011, networked protests emerged in Tunisia, Egypt, Greece, Portugal, Spain and the US. A common
feature was their innovative and performative connections of social media and urban spaces for collective
action. The emergence of these movements and their strategic use of ICT (defined as the converging set of
technologies that process information and communication by electronic means, including transmission and
display [Castells, 1996; OECD, 2011]) constitute a key factor in the transformation of practices of contentious
politics. A new public sphere may be emerging, connected to the spaces of autonomy (Castells, 2012) that
movements create on the basis of the possibilities offered by the Internet. Labelled as “networked social
movements” (Castells, 2012; Juris, 2004), there are numerous analyses of their relationship with digital
practices and social media. In the conception of this study we follow a technopolitical approach (Toret et al.,
2015) that takes into account the intensification and complexification of the technological mediation of
collective action (Bennett & Segerberg 2012; Castells, 1996, 2009, 2012; Earl & Kimport, 2011) and situates
social practices around digital communication technologies at the centre of the analysis (Couldry, 2012).
In this working paper we focus on the Occupy Wall Street (hereafter, OWS) movement in its third
anniversary, which exhibits fundamental characteristics of the forms of collective action arising with the
wave of networked social movements since 2011. OWS emerged in September 2011, with the consequences of
the 2008 financial crisis still present in symptoms ranging from unemployment levels (8.6% at the time
[Rampell, 2011]) to inequality indexes (Piketty, 2014), and a perception that those directly or indirectly
responsible for the crisis were either left off-the-hook or even ended at key US economic institutions
(Ferguson & Marrs, 2010). OWS operated through a multi-layered structure that connected offline
interactions to mass and digital social media (Bennett & Segerberg, 2012; Gerbaudo, 2012). Born in digital
networks with the call of the alternative magazine Adbusters, and the ensuing diffusion via social media, the
movement evolved in relation to them. Due to its novelty and relevance, there is a need for a closer
examination of OWS’s relation to social media and technopolitical practices.
1. Background and conceptual framework.
It was on July 13th 2011, with the antecedents of Tunisia, Egypt or Spain and the growth of international
networks (Castañeda, 2012; Tejerina, Perugorría, Benski, & Langman, 2013) when Adbusters launched its
call to Occupy Wall Street. The call took place several months before the day of the action. A few hundreds
attended the demonstration on September 17th (Pepitone, 2011), and only after different events and
processes took place, in the following days and weeks, did the camp at Zucotti Park and the Occupy
movement itself grow exponentially. Different episodes of police violence and the online/offline processes in
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
reaction to them, occurred during the last week of September and the first week of October, were crucial in
the national and international growth of the movement (Gitlin, 2012). We believe networked emotions and
the augmented events tied to them were crucial in the initial popularization of the protest, as it was the case
of the 15M movement in Spain (Perugorría & Tejerina, 2013). This took place even though, as it happened in
Spain, in its early days the movement received more attention in international than in national mainstream
media1.
Even with some moments of renewal, such as #OccupySandy (Feuer, 2012), the movement declined in the
following years. In spite of that, the movement was able to influence public discourse and the media agenda,
putting issues of inequality and social justice, or new formulas such as the opposition between the 1% and the
99%, at the centre of it, providing a frame in which the popularity of political figures such as Bernie Sanders
became possible. Taking this into account, we believe relevant to examine OWS across time to understand
some of its key features and its social and political impacts.
The unfolding of movements such as OWS leads us to reassess the study of social movements in the
information and knowledge age. The proliferation and massive extension of technopolitical practices for the
organization of collective action, the availability of open and distributed communication, the role of emotions
in the main events as drivers of networked communication, the emergence of self-organizing forms at a large
scale, or the hybridization of layers (physical and digital) in the movement’s development are some of the
factors that guide us towards new approaches in the study of social movements in the network society. In this
sense, we aim at further developing the notion of networked movement (Monterde, 2015) as a concept that
extends and includes most of the characteristics of these emerging social movements, which are articulated
both by hyper-connected and complex dynamics. This development would enable new arguments for a better
understanding of these movements, arguments that neither allude to technocentric ideas nor neglect the
essential role of technologies in these movements. Such a novel and broader approach is captured in the term
“technopolitics”, which has been defined as the strategic and tactical use of digital tools in the organization
and communication of collective action (Toret et al., 2015). These new conceptual developments in the
intersections of social movements and information and communication technologies literatures pave the way
for new directions in the analysis of social movements in the context of the current network society.
Therefore, we adopt these new advancements in the examination of the OWS movement in the US.
2. Research goals.
In this study, we primarily approach OWS from the viewpoint of its participants. This provides extremely
valuable information to understand how they conceive the movement. We believe that their experience and
views are crucial for a better understanding of OWS. Having this said, our main goal is to look into the
1
These processes have been narrated in different works such as Gitlin, 2012; Juris, 2012; or Graeber, 2013.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
practices, evolution and impacts of the OWS movement from the perspective of its participants, in a
transdisciplinary and situated manner. Furthermore, we define several specific goals that delve into greater
detail on the experiences and perceptions of the OWS participants. First, to identify the degree of adherence
of OWS participants to the movement. Second, to examine their previous political participation and motives
to participate. Third, to identify the forms of participation and the technological means used in relation to the
movement. Fourth, to explore the emotions experienced by participants regarding the movement. Fifth, to
examine the perceived persistence or evolution of the movement through time. Sixth, to explore the influence
of the movement on political elections. Finally, to look into the perceived effects of the movement on
different domains and institutions in the social and political spheres. In the following section, we describe in
greater detail the methodology applied in this study.
3. Methods.
Given the increasing pervasiveness of information and communication technologies in the US, and,
especially, the intensive use of digital technologies by the OWS movement (which is a distinctive
characteristic of networked social movements), we designed an online survey to collect the desired
information. Accordingly, we deem this method to be adequate to reach our main target audience
(participants in the movement), who are presumably frequent users of digital technologies or frequently
exposed to digital contents. An encouraging precedent is the online survey conducted by Linares (2013) to
investigate the 15M movement in Spain, who gathered 6,000 responses in a very short period (from May 14th
to May 15th, 2013) thanks to the involvement of 15M participants. This experience demonstrated that it was
possible to get a considerable amount of in-depth information on 15M participants through a nonrandomized online survey.
Our survey relies on a similar strategy. We first involved several researchers and experienced activists in
networked social movements in the United States and Canada in the design phase through several survey
pilots. The goal was to include the perspective of the movement’s participants, test the questionnaire and
software repeatedly, and obtain their support in sharing the survey. Once the tools reached an optimal level,
we released the survey through the main information channels and social network accounts of the
movement. We circulated the survey through OWS key diffusion and communication networks, in which
members of our research group are deeply involved in. By using some key OWS accounts in social network
sites (SNS) we expected to generate a (network of) trust effect, therefore increasing the probabilities of a
larger sample and completed questionnaires.
We are aware of the limitations of conducting an online survey based on a snowball sampling strategy,
especially in terms of a lack of representativeness of the target population. In addition, the sampling
procedure entails difficulties in terms of the replicability of the results, meaning that our data cannot offer
full certainty of its robustness. In spite of these problems, we believe this strategy is adequate to collect a
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
relatively high amount of data, in a standardized form, and to appeal, primarily, the OWS participants and
supporters.
3.1. Data collection and processing.
The survey was conducted through an electronic questionnaire available on a web server. A self-selected,
non-probabilistic sample was generated by making an open invitation to fill out the questionnaire through
digital means, social network sites (SNS) among them. Three channels were used to disseminate the
questionnaire: email, Twitter and Facebook. For each channel, an access link to the questionnaire was
created, which allowed us to identify the source of the questionnaires filled (yet filled by unknown
respondents). In addition, the questionnaire could be also accessed through the research group’s website,
Tecnopolítica.net. The questionnaires answered through this channel were homologated with those reached
by email, since the main purpose was to classify responses according to the three channels of interest. In
Twitter, we used the hashtag #OccupySurvey in every tweet along with the link to the questionnaire. Some of
the key Twitter accounts that participated in the dissemination of the survey were @OccupyWallStNYC,
@OccuWorld, @GlobalRevLive, @takethesquare, @potbanging, among some highly followed profiles.
The design of the questionnaire was a collaborative work between researchers involved in the project at the
IN3-Open University of Catalonia and collaborators in the United States and Canada. The questionnaire was
written in English as it is the predominant first language in the United States. The structure was based on the
questionnaire used for the study of the 15M movement in Spain to enable comparability between the two
surveys. Yet, the questions and phrasing of the original version were discussed jointly with our collaborators
to deem if they were relevant and applicable to their national context. In this light, we wish to stress that the
translation of the original survey entailed a situated adaptation, a version of the survey tailored in context.
Therefore, a translation of this kind is not merely linguistic, but also contextual and socio-political. As a
result, most questions were kept, some were adapted, and some were replaced by others that do not appear
in the questionnaire used for the 15M movement. In addition, greater freedom of expression was provided to
the respondents in the form of more open-ended questions and categories of response than in the survey
applied to the 15M movement. In sum, although the application of a master version of the survey was
essential to allow comparability between the two cases, the adaptation in context of the survey was equally
ambitioned to achieve a greater understanding of the local case (see Annex 1 to read the final version).
Fieldwork was conducted between September 17th and October 22nd of 2014. A proprietary digital platform
called Survey Manager (NetQuest) was used for data collection. The electronic questionnaire could be viewed
in computers, smartphones and tablets, although it was better suited for the first two devices. The platform
registered responses if the questionnaire was opened in one browser window or tab only. We received a total
of 542 responses (87 from the questionnaire distributed by email and website, 95 from the one distributed
through Twitter, and 360 from the one distributed through Facebook). Subsequently, we checked the quality
of gathered data by analysing outliers, response patterns, and inconsistent answers (e.g., answering “stable
job” along with “I have no income” as “Economic situation:”). Cases with failed system records and odd
selection of answers in different questions were excluded from the sample. In addition, data entries of cases
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
that submitted inconsistent answers in multiple choice questions were recoded as missing entry points. After
data cleaning, the final sample size is of 522 observations. The database, the codebook, and the questionnaire
are available under open license at http://tecnopolitica.net/content/OccupySurvey.
Regarding statistical techniques, in this working paper we conducted descriptive statistics: frequency tables,
contingency tables, and chi-square tests for significant differences. All data analyses were carried out in the
statistical package SPSS 23.
3.2. Basic characteristics of the sample.
In table 1 we can observe the basic socio-demographic features of the survey respondents. Bearing in mind
the non-probabilistic nature of the sampling design, the distribution of these variables departs from the
population distribution. The sample is predominantly male and highly educated. Males make up to 54% of
the sample, females up to 43%, and a 3% self-describe according to other parameters. University graduates
(71%) represent a vast majority, followed distantly by people with secondary (27%) and primary studies (1%).
The average age of respondents is about 40 years old, and ages range from 15 to 84. However, respondents
are typically young, wherein a quarter of them are 27 years old or younger and half are 35 years old or
younger. Nearly all respondents are United States (75%), Europe (13%) and Canada (8%) born citizens, while
most of the respondents also reside predominantly in these places (79% in the United States, and 9% in
Europe and Canada each). Finally, respondents of the survey are overwhelmingly non-Hispanic white or
Euro-Americans (83%), while Latinos or Hispanic Americans represent a 9%, native Americans or Alaskan
natives a 4%, and black or Afro-Americans a 2%, among a few (although respondents could report belonging
to more than one race or ethnical heritage). Compared to the 15M survey wherein racial or ethnical heritage
was not asked, in this survey we deemed it as a relevant aspect to consider due to the social centrality of race
in the American society2.
Table 1. Basic socio-demographic characteristics of the sample (N=522)
PERCENTAGE
Male
Female
Self-describe
YEARS
54.2
42.7
3.1
2 For a detailed distribution of these socio-demographic variables by participation and non-participation in OWS, see tables in
Annex 2.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
39.54
15.19
15–84
27
35
52
Mean age
Standard deviation
Minimum-Maximum
Percentile 25
Percentile 50 (median)
Percentile 75
University studies
Secondary studies
Primary studies
Don’t know/No answer
70.7
27.0
1.3
1.0
Place of birth
US
Europe
Canada
Asia
Other American country
Oceania
Mexico
Africa
75.3
12.6
7.5
1.5
1.1
1.0
0.6
0.4
Place of residence
US
Europe
Canada
Oceania
Other American country
Asia
Mexico
78.5
9.4
9.0
1.1
0.8
0.8
0.4
Non-Hispanic White or Euro-American
Latino or Hispanic American
Native American or Alaskan Native
Black, Afro-Caribbean, or African
American
East Asian or Asian American
Middle Eastern or Arab American
South Asian or Indian American
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Other
Don’t know/No answer
83.3
5.8
3.7
1.9
1.5
0.8
0.4
0.2
7.9
2.9
Note. Categories sorted in descending order (except for “other” and “don’t know/no answer”). Categories listed in racial or ethnical
heritage are non-exclusive (its values do not add 100%).
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
4. Results.
The following structure of epigraphs mirrors that displayed in the paper on the 15M study (Monterde et al.,
2017), and reflects the dimensions of interest in both surveys. We start with participation and degree of
identification with OWS. We then focus on OWS participants by examining their previous political
participation, the political and social issues that prompted them into participating, and the ways they
participated in OWS. Subsequently, we identify the use of channels and electronic devices to access and
spread information about OWS, as well as the use of social network sites during their participation in OWS.
Next, we examine the emotions experienced by the respondents regarding OWS in its early days and in its
form three years later. Next, we examine the perceived current status of OWS and its association with other
political groups or processes. Then, we explore the perceived electoral effects of OWS as well as its
association with electoral formations in the US. Finally, we focus on the perceived impact of OWS on ideas,
behaviours, reputation and different aspects of society.
4.1. The OWS movement and me.
Starting with the proportion of respondents that participated in some way in OWS, table 2 shows that 74%
did take part in one way or another, whereas 23% claimed not having participated, and 4% declared not
knowing or did not answered the question. This amount of participation in the movement is comparable to
that yielded in the 15M study (77%) (Monterde et al., 2016), which shows the relatively high appeal of the
movement among respondents of the sample. In spite of a majority reporting having participated in OWS in
some way, the amount of respondents that did not is significantly large, which may reflect a lack of interest in
the movement or an opposite stance towards it. In the following sections, we will set comparisons between
the distribution of OWS participants and “Others” (comprising self-reported non-participants and those who
did not know or answer) across several dimensions of the survey (e.g., the use of information and
communication technologies, the experience of emotions, the evolution of the movement, perceived electoral
and social impacts), and we will further examine the nature and degree of involvement of the respondents
that engaged with the protest movement.
Table 2. Participation in OWS (N=522)
PERCENTAGE
Yes
No
Don’t know/No answer
73.6
22.6
3.8
Note. Categories sorted in descending order (except for “don’t know/no answer”).
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
In table 3, we can observe how the distribution of the degree of identification with the OWS movement
behaves among self-reported OWS participants and Others. A first look signals the high adherence to the
movement among OWS participants, and that this high identification has remained constant in time (79%).
However, the high adherence also among Others is remarkable (59%), which suggests that it is neither a lack
of interest in the movement nor holding contrary views against it that prevented these respondents from
participating in OWS. When taking into account the total proportion of respondents identifying with OWS,
which represents nearly three quarters of the sample, it is clear that the majority of the sample sympathizes
with the movement. In other words, and due to the sampling design, the survey reached mostly supporters of
the OWS movement. Where OWS participants and Others depart from each other relates to having identified
with the movement at some point in time. Whereas the second majority of OWS participants regard having
identified themselves with the movement initially but not anymore (12%), the third majority among Others
(16%) regard not having identified themselves with the movement at any point in time (the second majority,
17%, reported not knowing or did not answer the question). Although not necessarily representing contrary
opinions towards OWS, the relatively small proportion of 16% of Others represents the opposition group of
the sample regarding OWS. In addition, chi-square tests showed that there is a strong and significant
association between the degree of identification with OWS and whether respondents participated or not in
OWS.
Table 3. Degree of identification with Occupy Wall Street by participation in OWS* (%)
I have and I do identify myself with Occupy
I have identified myself with Occupy but not
anymore
I have not and I do not identify myself with
Occupy
I did not identify myself with Occupy but now I
do
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=384)
OTHERS
(N=138)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=522)
78.9
12.2
55.8
1.4
72.8
9.4
2.6
15.9
6.1
2.6
9.4
4.4
3.6
17.4
7.3
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Chi-square
tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.001.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
4.2. Issues and political participation before OWS.
Focusing particularly on OWS participants, a first step was to compare the extent to which their social
participation changed after the emergence of the OWS movement. We do not intend to make any causal
claims with these data, but only to observe potential changes in group behaviour between two points in time.
Table 4 displays the engagement of OWS participants in several associations or groups both prior to OWS’s
emergence in September 2011 and three years later, in September-October 2014. The overall trend of the
data is that after the rise of OWS, the engagement in non-institutionalized political participation grew,
contrary to the case of institutional politics which decreased. Participation in social movements, Internet
related movements, and activist groups were, in that order, the highest prior to OWS; a ranking that
remained three years after OWS’s emergence and that grew distant from involvement in other types of
groups (all three of them increasing between 12 and 14 percentage points). Conversely, participation in
political parties, unions, churches and NGOs saw a decrease in time among OWS participants, a decrease
particularly pronounced in political parties (over 12 percentage points less) and slight in NGOs (nearly minus
2 points). This suggests a possible permeating influence of the experience of participating in OWS in their
interests and views.
Table 4. Participation of OWS participants before OWS’s emergence in September 2011 and in SeptemberOctober 2014 (%)
Social movements
Movements related to Internet and online activism
Solidarity, activist groups, alliance groups
Political parties
NGOs, non-profits, associations
Unions
Churches, charities
Others
None
Don’t know/No answer
BEFORE 15M
(N=380)
MAY 2014
(N=381)
56.1
50.0
46.6
35.8
35.3
21.6
17.6
16.1
10.5
1.6
70.1
63.8
58.8
23.6
33.6
18.6
12.9
15.2
6.3
1.8
Note. *Non-exclusive categories.
In tables 5 and 6, OWS participants report the political groups, social movements, and issues, either national
or international, which prompted them to participate in OWS. The case of Wikileaks, the international
network Anonymous, and the wave of events known as the Arab Spring were reported, in that order, as the
three most influential events for OWS participants. The wave of protests ignited by the 15M/Indignados
social movement in Spain has been documented as influential for the emergence and organization of OWS
(Castells, 2012), yet only 13% of OWS participants in this sample acknowledged it as an influential force.
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14
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Also, a notable 20% of OWS participants declared not being influenced by either movements or
organizations. Regarding the issues that led individuals to participate in OWS, these were reported to a much
higher extent compared to influential movements or organizations. Economic inequality was reported by 91%
of OWS participants as a problem boosting their involvement, followed by an 83% reporting a lack of
democracy, 80% citing the economic crisis, 79% the financial institutions bail out, and 77% reporting
corruption. In sum, what seems to have boosted most participation in OWS in this sample revolves political
power, the economy, and their interrelation.
Table 5. Influences fostered participation in OWS (N=381) (%)
INFLUENCES
PERCENTAGE
Wikileaks
Anonymous
Arab Spring
Global Movement
Other
None
Food not bombs
15M/Indignados in Spain
MoveOn
IWW
End the Fed
Tea Party
Free software movement
Climate Camp
ISO
Don’t know/No answer
31.0
29.7
29.4
23.4
21.0
19.9
13.9
13.4
13.1
8.4
8.4
7.1
6.8
3.7
1.3
6.6
Note. Categories sorted in descending order (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Categories listed are non-exclusive. Column values
do not add 100%.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 6. Issues that fostered participation in OWS (N=380) (%)
PROBLEMS
PERCENTAGE
Economic inequality
Lack of democracy
Economic crisis
Financial institutions bail out
Corruption
Environmental crisis
Social cuts
Unemployment/Underemployment
Student debt
Housing
Immigration and racism
Other motives
No particular motive
Don’t know/No answer
90.8
82.9
79.7
78.9
77.4
67.9
67.1
64.7
59.7
52.9
49.7
25.3
0.5
0.0
Note. Categories sorted in descending order (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Categories listed are non-exclusive. Column values
do not add 100%.
Examining the actual activities or actions that OWS participants engaged in during their involvement, we can
observe in table 7 that the most frequent ones occurred in an interchangeable manner between online and
offline actions. The most typical form of participation was signing an online petition (80%), a relatively low
intensity form of participation, then followed by participation in a demonstration (73%). Next was
participation via online social networks (70%), followed by direct participation in an assembly (62%).
Sending emails to politicians (59%) followed by an online/offline combination of participation via online
social networks while being physically present at different actions (53%) were next among the most typical
forms of participation in OWS. The relatively high degree of participation in active actions, such as
attendance in demonstrations and assemblies (and to a lesser extent, engaging in community outreach and
Town Hall meetings) suggests the high level of involvement of the sampled individuals who reported having
participated in OWS. In addition, the list of forms of participation in OWS presented in the survey seems to
be relatively exhaustive due to the relatively low proportion of OWS participants reporting having
participated in the movement in another way (16%). Having examined the actual forms of participation in
OWS, we now examine the use of technological devices, channels and platforms in relation to OWS in the
following section.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 7. Activities engaged in during OWS participation (N=384)
FORMS OF PARTICIPATION
PERCENTAGE
Signing an online petition
In a demonstration (direct action, protest)
Via online social networks
In an assembly
Emailing politicians
In online social networks while attending events, camping ...
Doing community outreach
Making a poster
Writing a post on a blog
Participating in a cultural/artistic project or action
Contributing to a crowdfunding
Attending City Council or Town Hall meetings
Recording video / streaming
Participating in a flash mob
Other
Participating in a blockade
Made a newsletter or newspaper
Stopping an eviction
Shutting down a bank, port ...
Did not participate in any activity related to Occupy
Don’t know/No answer
79.7
73.4
70.3
62.0
58.9
52.6
37.8
37.5
36.7
29.7
28.1
26.3
21.6
16.1
15.6
15.4
12.5
9.1
8.3
0.5
0.5
Note. Categories listed are non-exclusive. Column values do not add 100%.
4.3. Uses of ICTs.
To start with, table 8 shows the distribution of the use of channels to get and/or spread information
regarding OWS among OWS participants, Others, and the total sample. A first glance suggests that both
OWS participants and Others made roughly the same use of social networking sites, television, and other
channels in this regard. This is especially noticeable concerning social network sites (i.e., Facebook, Twitter,
Google+, among a few), suggesting that both groups heavily accessed social network sites to get information
about OWS (91% of OWS participants and 89% of Others). This becomes noteworthy in view of the
significant difference between both groups regarding the use of digital media (82% of OWS participants and
62% of Others). So, on the one hand, both groups used the Internet to get information about OWS to a very
similar extent (social network sites); and on the other, to a quite different extent (digital media). The use of
word of mouth also shows to be largely different between both groups (78% of OWS participants, 54% of
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Others); and to a lesser extent, the use of print media (41% of OWS participants, 27% of Others) also shows
to be significantly different. Lastly, the use of radio also seems to have been different between both groups,
reported by a 22% of OWS participants and by a 14% of Others of the sample.
An additional question was asked to non-participants in OWS (here addressed as “Others”) on the use of
social network sites to share information or opinions related to OWS. The result is that 79% of them reported
doing so. Although the question does not describe if whether this group shared opinions in favour or against
OWS, the high adherence to the movement shown in table 3 above gives hints that opinions were relatively
more inclined towards the former.
Table 8. Use of channels to inform oneself and/or spread information about OWS by participation in OWS
(%)
Social networking sites
Digital media (including websites)***
Word of mouth***
Print media**
Television
Radio*
Others
None***
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=384)
OTHERS
(N=138)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=522)
91.4
81.8
77.6
40.9
24.2
21.6
14.1
0.3
0.0
89.1
62.3
53.6
26.8
23.2
13.8
10.9
4.3
0.0
90.8
76.6
71.3
37.2
23.9
19.5
13.2
1.3
0.0
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Column values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests
ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Concerning the use of electronic devices to serve the same purposes, table 9 shows that there are significant
differences between OWS participants and Others in the use of computers, either desktop (62% of OWS
participants, 47% of Others) or laptop (79% of OWS participants, 69% of Others). Among these computers,
the difference is larger in the case of the former. As for the rest of devices, there are no statistically significant
differences between OWS participants and Others, as they use the same electronic devices to look for
information about OWS to a very similar extent. The strongest difference between both groups lays on the
non-usage of any electronic device, markedly higher for Others (6%) compared to OWS participants (1%).
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 9. Use of electronic devices to inform oneself and/or spread information about OWS by participation
in OWS (%)
Laptop*
Computer desktop**
Mobile phone
Tablet
Smart TV
Other
None***
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=384)
OTHERS
(N=138)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=522)
78.6
62.0
61.7
22.9
2.6
2.3
0.8
1.8
68.8
47.1
58.7
21.7
0.7
1.4
5.8
2.2
76.1
58.0
60.9
22.6
2.1
2.1
2.1
1.9
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Column
values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
We now focus on specific digital platforms or social network sites (SNS) used by OWS participants during
their activities in the movement. As a reference point, nearly 70% of adult population in the US use at least
one SNS, among which the most used are Facebook (68% of adults in the country), Instagram (28%),
Pinterest (26%), LinkedIn (25%) and Twitter (21%) (Pew Research Center, 2017). In table 10 we observe that
Facebook was by far the most widely used SNS among OWS participants, reported by a 91% of them. The
following most used SNS or digital platforms are at quite a distance from Facebook, namely, the
OccupyWallSt.org website (56%), websites in general (55%), Youtube (53%) and Twitter (49%). Next, there is
a group of two SNS that were fairly used by OWS participants, namely, Ustream or Livestream (34%) and
blogs in general (33%). From here on, there is a large list of other SNS or digital platforms that slowly decay
in terms of usage which ends with WhatsApp (2%). In sum, the OWS participants in this sample used the
most mainstream SNS in general (i.e., Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter), along with websites in general, and
OccupyWallSt.org website in particular.
Interesting to know also is whether these SNS were first used by OWS participants during their involvement
in the movement. Not surprisingly, neither Facebook nor Youtube were first used by OWS participants who
used Facebook and Youtube in OWS (8% and 4% respectively), yet Twitter was reported being used for the
first time by 39% of OWS Twitter users. The specialized websites InterOccupy.net and OccupyWallSt.org
were reported to be first used in this context to a large extent (70% and 69% respectively). However, the SNS
reporting the highest first use during OWS was Bambuser, reported by 83% of OWS Bambuser users during
their participation. Likewise, Mumble (64%) and Ustream or Livestream (62%) were also among the
debuting SNS with highest usage during OWS participation. In this light, participation in OWS entailed an
opportunity to adopt new SNS and digital platforms, wherein Ustream/Livestream and Twitter stand out also
for being two relatively highly used SNS among all OWS participants.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 10. Use and debut of social network sites (SNS) during OWS participation (N=383) (%)
Facebook
OccupyWallSt.org
Websites
Youtube
Twitter
Ustream, Livestream
Blogs
Google Docs or other online shared documents
InterOccupy.net
Mailing lists
SMS
Forums
Skype, Google Talk, Google Voice
Reddit
Tumblr
Google+
Chat/IRC
Celly Loop
Instagram
Other
Webinars
Bambuser
Pads
Flickr
Mumble
WhatsApp
None
Don’t know/No answer
USE OF SNS
FIRST TIME USE OF
SNS IN OWS
90.6
55.9
55.1
53.3
48.8
33.9
32.9
25.3
23.8
21.7
19.8
17.8
17.0
15.4
12.8
11.5
10.2
5.7
5.7
5.0
5.0
4.7
4.4
3.9
3.7
1.8
0.5
0.5
8.1
68.7
13.3
3.9
39.0
62.0
6.4
14.4
70.3
14.5
5.3
13.4
9.2
24.1
20.4
13.6
21.1
54.5
4.5
26.3
21.1
83.3
35.3
0.0
64.3
0.0
..
..
Note. .. = Data not available. SNS=Social network sites. Categories sorted in descending order according to use of SNS values (except
for “don’t know/no answer”). The far right column represents the percentage of OWS participants who having used the
corresponding social network site also reported having used it for the first time during their participation in OWS.
In a further question, OWS participants were asked about the frequency of use of such technologies after
their participation in the movement (N=354). Results yield that most of them (57%) declared using these
technologies with the same frequency as before their involvement in the movement, followed by a 23%
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
declaring a higher use post-OWS, and a 14% declaring a lower use (7% of OWS participants did not answer
the question). Therefore, in terms of influences in the more technological field, participation in OWS went
hand-in-hand with the adoption of new digital platforms and SNS that were strongly related to media usage
in OWS (e.g., InterOccupy.net, OccupyWallSt.org, Bambuser, Ustream or Livestream, Mumble, Twitter, Celly
Loop). Although the experience of participating in OWS meant no difference regarding the frequency of SNS
usage to a majority of them, SNS usage for nearly a quarter of OWS participants did increase (a section below
analyses the impacts of OWS).
4.4. Emotions related to OWS.
To a great majority of the sample, the emergence of OWS meant a relevant emotional experience. Table 11
shows that 88% of the sample reported so. Although highly reported by both groups, OWS participants (94%)
and Others (72%), the difference is significantly higher in the case of the former, distanced by 22 percentage
points. Three years after the emergence of OWS (see table 12), it still remained as an emotionally relevant
experience to most respondents (56%), yet decreasing considerably compared to the early days. The decline
was especially noticeable among OWS participants (55%), whereas the decline was less pronounced among
Others (59%), which is a somewhat remarkable figure in comparison to OWS participants.
Table 11. Emotional experience of OWS to respondents in its early days by participation in OWS* (%)
Yes
No
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=363)
OTHERS
(N=127)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=490)
93.7
6.3
73.2
26.8
88.4
11.6
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically
significant associations. *p < 0.001.
Table 12. Emotional experience of OWS to respondents in its current form (Sept.-Oct. 2014) by
participation in OWS (%)
Yes
No
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=331)
OTHERS
(N=109)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=440)
55.3
44.7
58.7
41.3
56.1
43.9
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Going into greater detail, the following two tables show the particular emotions felt by the respondents both
points in time3. Regarding the emotions felt in the early days of OWS (see table 13), a first majority reported
feeling hope (88%); a second majority, empowerment (72%); and a third majority, joy (52%). In all these
three emotions, OWS participants reported feeling them significantly more compared to the Others. Outrage
was also an emotion felt significantly more among OWS participants than Others (32% and 15%
respectively), and to a lesser extent, nostalgia (11% versus 3%), frustration (42% versus 31%), fear (18%
versus 9%), and rage (15% versus 7%). It is worth to note not only how an absolute majority of OWS
participants reported feeling hope, empowerment and joy, but also that an absolute majority of Others
reported feeling hope and empowerment as well. This gives further evidence about the sympathy felt towards
OWS in this latter group.
Table 13. Emotions felt regarding OWS at the time of the camps in 2011 by participation in OWS (%)
Hope***
Empowerment***
Joy***
Frustration*
Outrage (Indignation)***
Sadness
Fear*
Rage*
Nostalgia**
Disgust
Other*
Indifference
Don’t know/No answer***
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=383)
OTHERS
(N=136)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=519)
90.9
77.3
58.5
42.0
32.4
20.1
17.5
14.6
10.7
9.4
7.6
2.1
1.3
79.4
56.6
33.1
30.9
14.7
14.0
8.8
7.4
2.9
8.1
1.5
4.4
7.4
87.9
71.9
51.8
39.1
27.7
18.5
15.2
12.7
8.7
9.1
6.0
2.7
2.9
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically
significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Three years later (see table 14), hope and empowerment remained as the most frequent emotions felt in
relation to OWS among all the respondents (60% and 43% respectively). However, two things to remark: (a)
it decreased notably compared to OWS’ early days among both OWS participants and Others, and (b) the
3 Originally, the survey included the emotion “Illusion” among the multiple choices available. However, we deemed the term was
mistranslated from the emotion “Ilusión” in Spanish (meaning excitement). Therefore, we excluded this emotion for this paper.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
most frequently reported emotions among OWS participants and Others were hope and empowerment in the
case of the former, and hope and frustration in the case of the latter (with empowerment in a close third
position). It is striking how arguably negative emotions like frustration and nostalgia are reported by both
groups, climbing up to third and fourth position respectively in the total sample. At the same time, joy was
experienced much less in both groups compared to OWS’ early days. Nostalgia was also reported in a high
degree, particularly among OWS participants. In all, three years after the emergence of OWS, both OWS
participants and Others experienced a decrease in feelings of hope and empowerment and an increase in
frustration, disappointment and nostalgia, although hope remained as the most reported emotion of all.
Table 14. Emotions felt regarding OWS in the present time (Sept.-Oct- 2014) by participation in OWS (%)
Hope
Empowerment*
Frustration
Disappointment*
Nostalgia***
Sadness
Joy
Outrage (Indignation)**
Indifference
Fear
Other**
Disgust
Rage
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=380)
OTHERS
(N=138)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=518)
58.9
45.5
37.9
37.6
33.2
23.9
23.4
15.0
8.9
8.4
7.9
5.8
5.3
4.2
60.9
34.1
35.5
26.1
11.6
18.1
18.8
5.1
13.0
7.2
1.4
5.1
2.2
5.1
59.5
42.5
37.3
34.6
27.4
22.4
22.2
12.4
10.0
8.1
6.2
5.6
4.4
4.4
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically
significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Summing up this section, both OWS participants and Others experienced a similar pattern regarding their
emotions towards OWS: in OWS’ early days, OWS participants felt significantly more the aforementioned
positive emotions; whereas three years later, both groups felt more or less to a same extent the
aforementioned positive and (arguably) negative emotions.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
4.5. The evolution of OWS.
In regards to how respondents perceived the evolution of the movement three years after its emergence, the
general impression was that both OWS participants and Others think of OWS in terms of an enduring
existence (see table 15). A majority of OWS participants and Others perceived that OWS had evolved into
other events, actions, projects or processes (81% and 55% respectively), most notable in the case of the
former. In addition, both groups regarded the state of OWS as still relevant, slightly more pronounced among
Others (64%) but not significantly different from OWS participants (61%). Interestingly, a relatively large
proportion of members of both groups, and at practically the same level, perceived that OWS had diluted
over time (27% each group). Contrary to the general trend, a minority in each group believed that OWS was
over the moment the encampments ended, which is to say, in OWS’ early days. In sum, most respondents in
both groups perceived OWS as still being alive and relevant, that it had not perished or disappeared but
rather transformed or evolved into other related forms.
Table 15. Agreement with statements on the evolution of OWS by participation in OWS (%)
Occupy has mutated into other events, actions,
projects, or processes**
Occupy is still relevant
Occupy had a great impact at first but then
disintegrated
Occupy ended when the encampments did
Don’t know/No answer*
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=381)
OTHERS
(N=136)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=517)
81.1
55.1
74.3
61.4
27.3
64.0
27.2
62.1
27.3
7.1
1.0
11.0
4.4
8.1
1.9
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Column values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests
ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.001.
So, into what had OWS transformed specifically over time? One possible answer lays on the groups or
processes the respondents associate with OWS (see table 16). Most OWS participants and Others regarded
Strike Debt, Occupy Sandy and the Encampments as associated acts of OWS. Conversely, OWS participants
associated May Day General Strike and InterOccupy to OWS to a relatively higher extent (43% and 41%
respectively), whereas Others associated them to a much lesser degree (13%). Another difference between
both groups is the significantly higher extent to which OWS participants associated the aforementioned
groups or processes (also valid for the case of Free University) compared to the Others.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 16. Association of groups or processes with OWS by participation in OWS (%)
Strike Debt**
Occupy Sandy***
Encampments*
May Day General Strike***
InterOccupy***
Neighbourhood Assemblies
Free University*
Immigrant and Worker Justice
Research Justice
Other
None*
Don’t know/No answer**
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=380)
OTHERS
(N=135)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=515)
69.7
65.8
48.9
42.9
41.3
36.6
35.3
28.2
11.8
7.6
6.6
5.8
57.0
39.3
36.3
13.3
13.3
28.9
24.4
25.2
14.1
4.4
13.3
13.3
66.4
58.8
45.6
35.1
34.0
34.6
32.4
27.4
12.4
6.8
8.3
7.8
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Column
values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Now, if there were significant differences found in the proportion of OWS participants and Others associating
OWS to the groups or processes listed, these differences grew bigger in terms of participation in nearly every
one of them. In table 17 we can observe that although both groups reported not having participated in any of
these related groups or processes (dramatically high among Others [80%]), OWS participants show to have
participated in nearly all these events to a much higher degree compared to Others. Even Free University, the
last event showing this difference, was reported higher among OWS participants (12%) compared to Others
(1%). To this point, it becomes clearer that although the Others seemed to generally sympathize with OWS,
what makes the greatest difference is that most OWS participants were also active participants in other
groups, processes and social movements of the like of OWS, in the past and the present. In other words, it
becomes clearer that the sampled OWS participants reflect being part of the core of the OWS movement.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 17. Participation in groups or processes associated with OWS by participation in OWS (%)
None***
May Day General Strike***
Strike Debt***
Encampments***
Neighbourhood Assemblies***
Occupy Sandy***
Immigrant and Worker Justice***
InterOccupy***
Free University***
Other
Research Justice
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=382)
OTHERS
(N=138)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=520)
30.4
25.9
22.0
19.6
17.8
14.1
13.1
13.1
11.8
8.1
3.4
9.7
79.7
0.7
2.2
1.4
2.2
0.0
2.2
0.7
1.4
4.3
1.4
7.2
43.5
19.2
16.7
14.8
13.7
10.4
10.2
9.8
9.0
7.1
2.9
9.0
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Column
values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
4.6. OWS and institutional politics.
In the field of institutional politics, we begin by examining the perceived effects of OWS on political elections.
In table 18, we observe that most OWS participants and Others perceived an effect of OWS on political
elections in the US, either at present or in the future. This perception was high even among Others (69%),
although OWS participants perceived this significantly more (79%).
Table 18. Perceived actual effects of OWS on political elections in the US by participation in OWS* (%)
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=299)
OTHERS
(N=102)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=401)
78.9
68.6
76.3
Note. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01.
Taking a specific case, both groups perceived to an even greater extent that OWS had an effect on the New
York City mayoral election of 2013, which made Bill de Blasio the incumbent mayor (see table 19). Here,
OWS participants believed so to a significantly greater extent (87%) compared to Others (73%), which shows
that OWS is perceived as having real effects on society among the overall sample.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 18. Perceived actual effects of OWS on the New York City mayoral election of Bill de Blasio** (%)
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=210)
OTHERS
(N=59)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=269)
87.1
72.9
84.0
Note. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01.
As for political parties (see table 20), most of OWS participants (48%) and Others (40%) related OWS to the
Green Party, followed by Socialist Alternative (36% and 37% respectively), and Independents’ Party (32%
and 28% respectively). A notable proportion in each group associated OWS with no party at all, which was
somewhat more acknowledged among Others (30%) than among OWS participants (28%). Interestingly,
OWS participants associated significantly more OWS to Ron Paul’s Party (11% versus 4%), whereas Others
associated significantly more OWS to the Democratic Party (21% versus 11%). However, the overall
impression is that most people in both groups associated OWS to left-wing parties or to no party at all, and
that both groups associated OWS to different American parties to a similar extent.
Table 20. Perceived association of electoral formations with OWS by participation in OWS (%)
Green Party
Socialist Alternative
Independent
No party
Working Families Party
Libertarian Party
Democratic Party**
Ron Paul's party*
None*
Other
Republican Party
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=378)
OTHERS
(N=136)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=514)
48.4
35.7
31.7
27.8
21.7
12.7
10.8
10.3
9.3
8.2
0.5
12.7
40.4
36.8
27.9
30.1
17.6
8.8
21.3
3.7
3.7
8.1
0.0
19.1
46.3
36.0
30.7
28.4
20.6
11.7
13.6
8.6
7.8
8.2
0.4
14.4
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Column
values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Following on the previous idea, there seems to be a significant association between the reported political
ideology of the respondents and whether they participated in OWS or otherwise. In table 21 we observe that
most OWS participants and Others coincided in declaring themselves as socialists (26% of OWS participants
and 29% of Others). It is also noteworthy that Others also defined themselves more as liberals (21%) and
environmentalists (20%) compared to OWS participants, who identified themselves more with anarchism
(20%), environmentalist (16%) and other ideologies (14%). In sum, OWS participants and Others have in
common that both are mostly inclined to identify themselves with socialism and environmentalism, and
depart regarding anarchism (higher among OWS participants) and liberalism (higher among Others). This
gives further evidence that both groups are, with some differences, quite homogeneous regarding the issues
presented in this survey.
Table 21. Identification with political ideology by participation in OWS* (%)
Socialism
Anarchism
Environmentalism
Other
Feminism
Communism
Conservatism
Nationalism
Liberalism
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=362)
OTHERS
(N=129)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=491)
26.2
19.6
15.5
14.1
8.8
5.0
0.8
0.3
9.7
28.7
11.6
20.2
6.2
6.2
3.1
2.3
0.8
20.9
26.9
17.5
16.7
12.0
8.1
4.5
1.2
0.4
12.6
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically
significant associations. *p < 0.01.
4.7. OWS impacts.
Further examination of the impacts of OWS revolves, firstly, the perceived effects of OWS in a variety of
social issues. Table 22 shows that among both OWS participants and Others predominated the belief that
OWS has impacted perceptions of people, namely, of capitalism and economic justice. The belief that OWS
has changed the perception of capitalism was reported significantly more among OWS participants than
among Others (70% and 60% respectively), and so were the practices of social movements (60% versus 50%),
the way respondents understand politics (45% versus 34%), and the respondents’ vote intention (22% versus
13%). Yet, what marks the greatest difference between both groups is the respondents’ forms of political
participation, declared by 53% of OWS participants and 31% of Others. This is noteworthy in view of, as we
have seen above (see table 4), a majority of OWS participants that had experience participating in social
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
movements before OWS. Perhaps OWS provided new ways to participate in social movements and to be
politically involved (see table 6), as well as an opportunity to the introduction of new technologies used with
political purposes (see table 9). In addition, in spite that Others did not report participating in OWS in any
way, perhaps OWS provided the stimulus for nearly a third of them to engage in politics in a way that was
different from their usual political participation repertoire. In sum, according to both groups, OWS seems to
have affected mostly people’s perceptions of the economic system, brought awareness of their empowerment
potential, and, to differing degrees, the political participation of the respondents themselves.
Table 22. Perceived effects associated with OWS by participation in OWS (%)
The perception of capitalism*
The perception of or attention to economic
justice
The practices of social movements*
My forms of political participation***
The ability of people to change things
My way of understanding politics*
The media agenda
What I consider intolerable in a society
The issues that interest me
What I consider desirable in a society
My vote intention*
Other**
Nothing
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=383)
OTHERS
(N=135)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=518)
69.5
62.9
59.3
60.7
66.8
62.4
59.8
53.0
49.3
44.9
42.6
38.9
35.2
34.7
22.2
5.7
3.7
3.1
49.6
31.1
47.4
34.1
35.6
38.5
32.6
33.3
13.3
0.0
6.7
3.7
57.1
47.3
48.8
42.1
40.7
38.8
34.6
34.4
19.9
4.2
4.4
3.3
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Column values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests
ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Moving on to the perceived effect of OWS on several and diverse areas of society, table 23 shows that a
majority of OWS participants and Others believed that OWS has influenced democracy and the economy the
most. Housing was perceived by OWS participants to have been influenced by OWS to a large extent (51%),
while this perception was reported much less among Others (31%). Arts and culture was another area where
both groups diverge significantly (44% of OWS participants compared to 32% of Others). Another notable
divergence between both groups regards the perception that OWS had no influence at all on any of the listed
areas. A 12% of Others believed that OWS had no influence, while this figure represented only 4% of OWS
participants. Although overall, this belief was the lowest among all the areas listed, it is still interesting to
note that this perception is one of the things that make these two groups different.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 23. Perceived influence of OWS on specific areas by participation in OWS (%)
Democracy
Economy
Housing**
Mass media
Transparency
Arts and culture*
Education
Health
Other
Nothing**
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=380)
OTHERS
(N=137)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=517)
55.0
52.6
50.5
49.2
48.9
44.2
37.6
27.4
8.2
3.7
11.3
48.2
47.4
31.4
43.8
41.6
32.1
29.2
19.0
6.6
12.4
11.7
53.2
51.3
45.5
47.8
47.0
41.0
35.4
25.1
7.7
6.0
11.4
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values (except for “don’t know/no answer”). Column
values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.001.
In terms of the image and reputation of different institutions, table 24 shows that there is a significant
association between OWS participants and Others, and whether OWS exerted a positive or a negative effect
on most of these institutions and actors. Chi-square tests suggest that this association is particularly strong
regarding public institutions (congress, the police, among a few) and the role of the Internet in organizing
protests. OWS participants reported that OWS affected negatively the reputation of powerful public
institutions and positively the role of the Internet to organize protest to a very high extent (92% and 94%).
While Others, although predominantly reporting both actors the same way, also perceived that OWS had not
affected them at all (18% in the case of the former, and 13% the latter). This pattern repeated in the case of
financial institutions and banks, political parties, and the media (in order of increasing predominance of “no
effects” among Others); institutions which hold a significant, although less strong, association with being
whether a declared OWS participant or part of the Others group. Conversely, although the majority of both
groups perceived a positive effect of OWS on social movements and labour unions, no statistical association
was found.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 24. "I think OWS has affected the reputation of..." by participation in OWS (%)
Public institutions (Congress, police, ...)**
Negatively
Not at all
Positively
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=36 6 )
92.3
5.5
2.2
OTHERS
( N = 12 2 )
80.3
18.0
1.6
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=4 8 8 )
89.3
8.6
2.0
Political parties*
Negatively
Not at all
Positively
Unions
Negatively
Not at all
Positively
Social movements
Negatively
Not at all
Positively
Media*
Negatively
Not at all
Positively
Financial institutions and banks *
Negatively
Not at all
Positively
( N = 3 55)
87.0
11.0
2.0
( N = 3 14 )
6.4
33.1
60.5
( N = 3 14 )
5.1
5.4
89.5
(N=34 4 )
72.7
21.5
5.8
( N = 3 72 )
93.0
5.9
1.1
( N = 114 )
73.7
22.8
3.5
( N = 9 7)
11.3
37.1
51.5
( N = 9 7)
5.6
11.2
83.2
( N = 114 )
57.0
35.1
7.9
( N = 12 2 )
82.0
16.4
1.6
(N=4 6 9 )
83.8
13.9
2.3
( N = 4 11)
7.5
34.1
58.4
( N = 4 11)
5.2
6.9
87.9
( N = 4 58 )
68.8
24.9
6.3
(N=4 9 4 )
90.3
8.5
1.2
The Internet to organize protests**
Negatively
Not at all
Positively
( N = 3 6 1)
1.4
5.0
93.6
( N = 12 8 )
7.0
13.3
79.7
(N=4 8 9 )
2.9
7.2
90.0
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically
significant associations. *p < 0.01, **p < 0.001.
Following on the effects of OWS, we examine the perceived contribution of OWS to a social and political
change (see table 25). We observe that there is a significant association between the varying degrees of such
perception, and whether respondents participated in OWS or otherwise. Most OWS participants responded
affirmatively to this question, while most of Others, although also responding affirmatively, introduced a
nuanced response. Most Others reported a partially affirmative response to the question, which was also the
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
second largest perception among OWS participants. In sum, although both groups largely perceived that
OWS, in effect, contributes to a social and political change, some Others rejected this perception
straightforwardly (8%).
Table 25. Contribution of Occupy Wall Street to a social and political change by participation in OWS* (%)
Yes
Yes, in part
Yes, but only in the long term
No
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=379)
OTHERS
(N=134)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=513)
48.8
37.2
11.1
2.9
37.3
47.0
7.5
8.2
45.8
39.8
10.1
4.3
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Chi-square tests ran to check statistically
significant associations. *p < 0.01.
Lastly, after examining the respondents’ perceptions of the possible effects OWS might have exerted over
different things, we now present the respondents’ behaviours after the emergence of OWS. An overview of
table 26 suggests that what differentiates most OWS participants and Others in this respect is that once OWS
emerged, the former engaged in activities that required a relatively higher level of involvement. OWS
participants reported having attended protests for issues not affecting them directly (51%), more community
events (32%), and City Council or Town Hall meetings (20%); while these behaviours were engaged by no
more than 12% of Others. Conversely, most of Others engaged in activities involving a lower level of intensity
(e.g., participation in local, state, or federal election [31%], shopping local or at farmer’s market [38%]) or
rather relatively passive behaviours (e.g., looking for information or news at different geographical levels).
Relatively subtle changes also emerged among OWS participants, who after the emergence of OWS reported
feeling greater sympathy with struggles abroad (55%); a change which was also the predominant one among
Others (49%). Up to this point, it seems clear that declared OWS participants represent highly and
historically engaged people in social movements, protest activities, and activism, activities that demand a
high level of involvement; whereas Others seems to represent sympathizers and adherents of OWS, yet
usually less involved in non-institutionalized forms of political participation and medium to low intensity
level political behaviours.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Table 26. Activities or behaviours engaged in since the emergence of Occupy Wall Street by participation in
OWS (%)
Sympathize with struggles in countries other
than my own
Attended protests for issues that do not affect
me directly***
Sought out more foreign news
Started shopping local or at farmer's markets
Only purchase products from companies that are
not part of the 1%, when possible
Sought out information on political ideologies
different from my own
Attended more community events***
Sought out more local news
Participated in local, state, or federal election
Joined a credit union*
Sought out more national news
Attended City Council or Town Hall meetings***
Stopped voting*
Began a community group to address local
issues and ordinances**
Not engaged in any new kind of activity or
behaviour
Other
Don’t know/No answer
15M
PARTICIPANTS
(N=377)
OTHERS
(N=137)
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=514)
54.6
48.9
53.1
50.7
10.2
39.9
37.1
37.1
37.9
38.7
38.0
30.7
37.5
37.4
36.0
36.3
36.5
36.4
32.4
31.3
30.8
27.6
22.8
19.9
13.0
12.5
11.7
24.8
31.4
16.8
26.3
4.4
5.8
3.6
26.8
29.6
30.9
24.7
23.7
15.8
11.1
10.1
7.2
8.0
7.4
7.4
5.6
5.8
6.6
7.0
5.8
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Column values do not add 100%. Chi-square tests
ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
5. Conclusions.
Recapitulating the results of the study, we would like to begin stressing the high proportion of self-reported
participants in OWS: nearly three out of every four respondents declared having participated in the
movement. In addition, nearly the same proportion identified themselves with it. This is an expected
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
outcome due to the methodological design of this study, which was focused mainly on sympathizers and
participants in the movement. Regarding the latter, the results show that most of them increased their
participation in non-institutionalized forms of political participation after OWS. Many of them were
prompted into participation by the influence of internet-related activism and global social movements, as
well as by issues of a predominantly economic (e.g., inequality, crisis, banks bailouts) and political (e.g., lack
of democracy, corruption) kind. Also, a majority engaged in OWS through both online and offline forms of
participation (i.e., sending emails, signing petitions, using social network sites, demonstrating, attending
assemblies) or, more importantly, combining them in real time (i.e., using social network sites while
attending assemblies).
An important block of questions in this study concerned the use of communication technologies in relation to
OWS. The most widely used channels to access and share information about the movement were digital ones,
as well as word of mouth, in contrast to mass media (print, television, radio), suggesting the central role of
networks and decentralized communication systems to spread and be exposed to OWS information. As to the
electronic devices used in this regard, computers (laptop or desktop) and mobile telephones were clearly the
most widely used by respondents, which shows the predominance of relatively popular devices in contrast to
others such as tablets or Smart TV. During their participation, OWS participants used the most popular
social network sites (i.e., Facebook, Youtube, Twitter), along with websites in general and specialized
websites in particular (i.e., OccupyWallSt.org). Interestingly, during their participation, some adopted new
social network sites and digital platforms (e.g., Ustream/Livestream, Twitter).
The emotions experienced with regard to OWS were also a central aspect of this study: an overwhelming
majority of respondents felt that OWS in its early days represented a relevant emotional experience to them,
a proportion that declined notably when asking about their experience three years afterwards, even if still
experienced by a majority. Feelings of hope and empowerment were the most frequently cited by
respondents at both points in time, although feelings of disappointment, nostalgia and frustration clearly
grew with time. For most of the sample, OWS was still relevant and alive in other forms, while a relatively
small proportion believed OWS had disappeared after its early days.
An analysis that emerged throughout this study concerns the comparison between respondents that reported
having participated in OWS and those who did not participate or did not answer. Both groups had no
statistically significant differences on socio-demographical grounds (that is, they are similar in terms of age,
sex composition, educational attainment, place of birth, place of residence, and racial or ethnical heritage).
Although “Others” showed lower levels of sympathy, adherence, and involvement in OWS compared to OWS
participants, it is clear that this group is relatively aligned with the movement: most of them identified
themselves with OWS, regarded OWS as a relevant emotional experience, felt hopeful and empowered since
OWS’ emergence, perceived OWS as still relevant and alive, and perceived OWS as having an impact on
several perceptions, behaviours, elections, institutions, and areas of social life. What apparently constitutes
the fundamental difference between both groups is their level of political involvement, which is consistent
with their self-ascription as non-participants in OWS.
The possibility of splitting the results based on participation or otherwise in the OWS movement allowed us
to get a broader picture as well as a finer interpretation of what characterizes networked social movements. A
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
preliminary view of the results shows, for example, a hybridization of physical and digital participation. The
differences in these patterns could be, perhaps, more related to the different degrees of involvement by OWS
participants than to the conventional opposition between physical and digital participation. At the same time,
we could observe the central role of digital technologies in the organization and communication of actions.
Another relevant issue is the blurred borders of aggregated groups and collectivities around OWS. Many of
them were largely identified with the movement, suggesting changes in the notion of identity and how this
identity operates at higher levels, whether meso or macro (Monterde et al., 2015). Emotions are another
crucial aspect: results reflect how mainly positive emotions are experienced during the protests in September
2011. We would be unable to understand these feelings during the protests if we neglect their networked
dimension and the way in which the technologically structured contagion works (Toret et al., 2015). These
initial and preliminary results suffice to continue and extend the task opened by Castells (2012) and other
scholars in characterizing networked social movements, in this particular study, via quantitative techniques.
The technopolitical approach of this study contributed in defining the contents of each sections in which the
survey is divided. The thematic blocks proved us useful to focus attention on several aspects of participation
in OWS. Nonetheless, we wish to stress some aspects that could see improvements in future works. Firstly, in
the set of questions related to the evolution of OWS, table 17 shows results on the actual participation of
respondents in several groups or processes associated with OWS, a question which could be better placed in
the section on forms of participation. The same applies to table 26 (activities or behaviours engaged in since
OWS), which could be better grouped with a set of questions regarding forms of participation before, during,
and after OWS. Secondly, we acknowledge that the set of questions about the impacts of OWS can be
confusing. Tables 22 and 23 could be combined into one table only since they ask about the perceived effects
of OWS on different issues and areas, which could seem redundant to the reader. Finally, in the section on
elections, the first question in table 18 asks whether respondents perceived an effect of OWS on political
elections in general in the US. We believe that the question may be better suited in an historical moment of
expected elections sometime in the near future, as was the case of the study about the 15M social movement.
Although a relevant question, the prospect of upcoming elections provides the potential for an enhanced
context as well as richer and meaningful reflections of the respondents.
In methodological terms, online surveys have long concerned researchers regarding their capacity to
accurately represent the population of interest. In this study, however, it became an excellent tool to query,
analyse, and interpret an emergent social movement with relatively strong attachments to digital
communication networks, as is the case of OWS. Firstly, by using the same key communication channels
used in the movement, we were able to reach a sample that is closely related to the population of interest.
And secondly, it allowed us to conduct separate analyses between self-reported OWS participants and the
categorized rest of the sample (“Others”), enabling us to focus our analyses on the participants and their
forms of engagement. The detailed examination of OWS participants across several sections provided us with
greater insight of their practices, which is consistent with our situated approach in this study. In this sense,
we deem the methodological approach adopted as appropriate. In addition, we strongly recommend
comparing the data of the survey with other data sources based on qualitative analysis or network analysis.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
To conclude, we wish to note that this working paper is an initial descriptive analysis of the survey. It is
aimed to liberate the data and to contribute to the understanding of OWS three years after its emergence. In
parallel, we are working on two similar studies: one related to the 15M movement in Spain, and another to
the Journeys of June in Brazil. The present study and the Brazilian study are based on the 15M movement
study, which has been adapted to the American and Brazilian contexts. Our next step is to carry out a
comparative study of these movements in the near future. We also aim to establish the survey designed for
these studies as a prototype for other networked social movements, in order to have a broader base for
comparison and to better understand them.
Acknowledgments
This research was made possible thanks to the second half of the 2013 Balzan Prize for Sociology assigned to
Manuel Castells, and to the generous contributions of our partners in the US and Canada. Participants in the
design and development of this survey are Max Liboiron, Joan Donovan, Pablo Benson, Luis Moreno
Caballud, Sasha Costanza-Chock, Pablo Rey Mazón, Noelia Díaz, Alex Penina, Eunate Serrano, Javier Toret
and Datanalysis15M. We want to thank specially the people who collaborated in the pilot survey.
Bibliographic references
BENNETT , W. L., & SEGERBERG, A. (2012). The logic of connective action: Digital media and the
personalization of contentious politics. Inform ation, Com m unication & Society , 15(5), 739-768.
CASTAÑEDA, E. (2012). The indignados of Spain: A precedent to Occupy Wall Street. Social Movem ent
Studies, 11(3-4), 309-319.
CASTELLS, M. (1996). The inform ation age: Econom y , society and culture. The rise of the netw ork
society (Vol. 1). Oxford, United Kingdom: Blackwell.
CASTELLS, M. (2009). Com m unication pow er. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
CASTELLS, M. (2012). Netw orks of outrage and hope: Social m ovem ents in the Internet age.
Cambridge, United Kingdom: Polity Press.
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de Catalunya
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ISSN 2462-7461
working-papers.uoc.edu
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COULDRY, N. (2012). Media, society , w orld: Social theory and digital m edia practice. Cambridge, MA:
Polity
EARL, J., & KIMPORT, K. (2011). Digitally enabled social change: Activism in the internet age.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
FEUER, A. (2012). Occupy Sandy: A movement moves to relief. The N ew York Tim es, 9.
FERGUSON, C. & MARRS, A. (2010). Inside job [Motion picture]. United States: Sony Pictures Classics.
GERBAUDO, P. (2012). Tw eets and the streets: Social m edia and contem porary activism . London,
United Kingdom: Pluto Press.
GITLIN, T. (2012). Occupy nation: The roots, the spirit, and the prom ise of Occupy W all Street. New
York, NY: Itbooks.
GRAEBER, D. (2013). The dem ocracy project: A history , a crisis, a m ovem ent. New York, NY: Spiegel &
Grau.
JURIS, J. S. (2004). Networked social movements: global movements for global justice. In M. Castells
(Ed.), The netw ork society : A cross-cultural perspective (pp. 341-362). Cheltenham, United Kingdom:
Edward Elgar.
JURIS, J. S. (2012). Reflections on #Occupy Everywhere: Social media, public space, and emerging logics
of aggregation. Am erican Ethnologist, 39(2), 259-279.
LINARES, J. (2013). El 15-M en España y los flujos de inform ación: Medios, entornos y relatos. Del 9 de
febrero al 19 de junio de 20 11 [15M in Spain and information flows: Media, environments and stories.
From February 9 to June 19, 2011] (Master’s thesis). Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
MONTERDE, A., CALLEJA-LÓPEZ, A., BLANCHE, D. & FERNÁNDEZ-ARDÈVOL, M. (2017). 15M: The
movement in its third anniversary. UOC R&I W orking Papers.
OECD. (2011). OECD guide to m easuring the Inform ation Society 20 11. Paris, France: OECD Publishing.
http://doi.org/10.1787/9789264113541-en
PEPITONE, J. (2011, September 17). Hundreds of protesters descend to “Occupy Wall Street”. CNN.
Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/17/technology/occupy_wall_street/
PERUGORRÍA, I., & TEJERINA, B. (2013). Politics of the encounter: Cognition, emotions, and networks
in the Spanish 15M. Current Sociology , 61(4), 424–442. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392113479743
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de Catalunya
Working Papers (2017)
ISSN 2462-7461
working-papers.uoc.edu
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER. (2017). Social m edia fact sheet. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/
PIKETTY, T. (2014). Capital in the 21st Century . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
RAMPELL, C. (2011, December 2). Jobless rate dips to lowest level in more than two years. The New York
Tim es. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/business/economy/us-adds-120000-jobsunemployment-drops-to-8-6.html
TEJERINA, B., PERUGORRÍA, I., BENSKI, T., & LANGMAN, L. (2013). From indignation to occupation:
A new wave of global mobilization. Current Sociology , 61(4), 377392.http://tecnopolitica.net/OWSsurvey2014_data
TORET, J., CALLEJA-LÓPEZ, A., MARÍN MIRÓ, Ó., ARAGÓN, P., AGUILERA, M., BARANDIARAN, X.
E., … MONTERDE, A. (Ed.). (2015). Tecnopolítica y 15M: La potencia de las m ultitudes conectadas. Un
estudio sobre la gestación y explosión del 15M [Technopolitics and 15M: The power of connected
multitudes. A study on the emergence and explosión of 15M]. Barcelona, Spain: UOC Ediciones.
Working Papers is a research monograph
series promoted by the Universitat Oberta
de Catalunya
Working Papers (2017)
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
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Annex 1
# Occu p ySu rve y Qu e s tio n n aire
#OccupySurvey by Networks, Movements and Technopolitics is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Le ge n d
‐
‐
‐
‐
‐
‐
‐
SCQ: Single choice question
MCQ: Multiple choice question
SCQ PLUS: Single choice question with open option “Others”
MCQ PLUS: Multiple choice question with open option “Others”
MATRIX SCQ: Single choice question in matrix form
NUMERIC: Numerical question
TEXT: Open response question
General aspects
Title: #OccupySurvey
Subtitle:
Content
1 – COMMENT
This is a survey on Occupy in its third anniversary. The aim is to gather the opinions and perceptions you
have about Occupy, regardless of the degree of knowledge or participation.
All responses are ANONYMOUS (we do not know who answers). The data you provide us with will be
confidential. The survey results will be public and open.
The survey should take you about 15 minutes to answer it.
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series promoted by the Universitat Oberta
de Catalunya
Working Papers (2017)
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
In case of comments or doubts, you can contact:
[email protected]
W ARN IN G! Ple as e m ake s u re yo u o p e n th e s u rve y in o n e w in d o w o r tab o n ly.
The survey can be filled from any device, although w e recom m end using a big screen (12 inches or m ore)
for better readability .
2 – PAGE BREAK
3 – COMMENT
To start with, some questions about you
4 – v_1 SQR
Phrasing
I am:
Codes
0
Male
1
Female
997
Self-describe: ________
5 – v_2 NUMERIC
Phrasing
I am: _______ years old
6 – v_3 SCQ
Phrasing
I was born in:
Codes
1
US
2
Canada
3
Mexico
4
Other American country
5
Europe
6
Africa
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40
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
7
8
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Asia
Oceania
Don’t know/No answer
7 – v_4 SCQ
Phrasing
I live in:
Codes
1
US
2
Canada
3
Mexico
4
Other American country
5
Europe
6
Africa
7
Asia
8
Oceania
999
Don’t know/No answer
8 – PAGE BREAK
9 – v_5 NUMERIC
Only shows if v_4 = 1
Phrasing
Indicate your current postal/zip code: ________
10 – v_6_1 SCQ
Only shows if v_4 = 4
Phrasing
In which country do you live in?
Codes
1
Anguilla
2
Antigua and Barbuda
3
Argentina
4
Aruba
5
Bahamas
6
Barbados
7
Belize
8
Bermudas
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10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Bolivia
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Chile
Clipperton Island
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Curaçao
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Dutch Caribbean
Ecuador
El Salvador
Falkland Islands
French Guiana
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Martinique
Montserrat
Navassa Island
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
Saba
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Surinam
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Venezuela
Don’t know/No answer
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
11 – v_6_2 SCQ
Only shows if v_4 = 5
Phrasing
In which country do you live in?
Codes
1
Albania
2
Andorra
3
Armenia
4
Austria
5
Belarus
6
Belgium
7
Bosnia and Herzegovina
8
Bulgaria
9
Croatia
10
Cyprus
11
Czech Republic
12
Denmark
13
Estonia
14
Finland
15
France
16
Georgia
17
Germany
18
Greece
19
Hungary
20
Iceland
21
Ireland
22
Italy
23
Latvia
24
Liechtenstein
25
Lithuania
26
Luxembourg
27
Macedonia
28
Malta
29
Moldova
30
Monaco
31
Montenegro
32
Netherlands
33
Norway
34
Poland
35
Portugal
36
Romania
37
San Marino
38
Serbia
39
Slovakia
40
Slovenia
41
Spain
42
Sweden
43
Switzerland
44
Ukraine
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
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46
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Don’t know/No answer
12 – v_6_3 SCQ
Only shows if v_4 = 6
Phrasing
In which country do you live in?
Codes
1
Algeria
2
Angola
3
Benin
4
Botswana
5
Burkina Faso
6
Burundi
7
Cameroon
8
Cape Verde
9
Central African Republic
10
Chad
11
Comoros
12
Democratic Republic of the Congo
13
Djibouti
14
Egypt
15
Equatorial Guinea
16
Eritrea
17
Ethiopia
18
Gabon
19
Gambia
20
Ghana
21
Guinea
22
Guinea-Bissau
23
Ivory Coast
24
Kenya
25
Lesotho
26
Liberia
27
Libya
28
Madagascar
29
Malawi
30
Mali
31
Mauritania
32
Mauritius
33
Morocco
34
Mozambique
35
Namibia
36
Niger
37
Nigeria
38
Republic of Congo
39
Rwanda
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44
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Don’t know/No answer
13 – v_6_4 SCQ
Only shows if v_4 = 7
Phrasing
Codes
1
Afghanistan
2
Armenia
3
Azerbaijan
4
Bahrain
5
Bangladesh
6
Bhutan
7
Brunei
8
Cambodia
9
China
10
Cyprus
11
East Timor
12
Georgia
13
India
14
Indonesia
15
Iran
16
Iraq
17
Israel
18
Japan
19
Jordan
20
Kazakhstan
21
Kuwait
22
Kyrgyzstan
23
Laos
24
Lebanon
25
Malaysia
26
Maldives
27
Mongolia
28
Myanmar
29
Nepal
In which country do you live in?
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen
Don’t know/No answer
14 – v_6_5 SCQ
Only shows if v_4 = 8
Phrasing
In which country do you live in?
Codes
1
American Samoa
2
Australia
3
Christmas Island
4
Cocos Islands
5
Cook Islands
6
Coral Sea Islands
7
Federated States of Micronesia
8
Fiji
9
French Polynesia
10
Guam
11
Hawaii
12
Kiribati
13
Marshall Islands
14
Nauru
15
New Caledonia
16
New Zealand
17
Niue
18
Norfolk Island
19
Northern Mariana Islands
20
Palau
21
Papua
22
Papua New Guinea
23
Pitcairn Islands
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
999
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Wake Island
Wallis and Futuna
West Papua
Don’t know/No answer
15 – v_7 MCQ
Phrasing
Codes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Which of the following best represents your racial or ethnic heritage? (You can tick
more than one)
Black, Afro-Caribbean, or African American
East Asian or Asian American
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Latino or Hispanic American
Middle Eastern or Arab American
Native American or Alaskan Native
Non-Hispanic White or Euro-American
South Asian or Indian American
Other
Don’t know/No answer
16 – v_8 SCQ
Phrasing
What is the highest education level you have completed?
Codes
1
No studies
2
Primary studies (grade school)
3
Secondary Studies (high school, professional schools)
4
University studies (diploma, bachelor, master, PhD...)
999
Don’t know/No answer
19 – v_9 MCQ
Phrasing
What is your financial, job, or life situation? (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
I have no income
2
I am in debt
3
Stable job
4
Unsteady work
5
Working without a contract
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Permanent job
Temporary work
Working full time
Working part-time
Retired
Unemployed
Unpaid domestic work (caretaker, homemaker)
Student
Freelancer
Self-employed
Other
Don’t know/No answer
20 – PAGE BREAK
21 – v_10 MCQ
Phrasing
Your house, apartment, or mobile home is: (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan
2
Owned by you or someone in this household without a mortgage or loan
3
Rented for cash rent
4
Occupied without payment of cash rent
5
I am homeless
6
Other
999
Don’t know/No answer
22 – v_11 MATRIX SCQ
Phrasing
How do you consider your financial situation?
v_11
Assessment:
Codes
1
Very good
2
Good
3
Neither good nor bad
4
Bad
5
Very bad
999
Don’t know/No answer
23 – v_12 MATRIX SCQ
Phrasing
Do you believe that...
v_12_1
Your economic situation will improve in the future?
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
v_12_2
The economic situation in general will improve?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
999
Don’t know/No answer
24 – PAGE BREAK
25 – COMMENT
Now, some questions on Occupy
26 – v_13 SCQ
Phrasing
Have you participated in Occupy in any way?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
999
Don’t know/No answer
27 – v_14 MCQ
Phrasing
How would you describe your level of identification with Occupy?
Codes
1
I have not and I do not identify myself with Occupy
2
I have identified myself with Occupy but not anymore
3
I did not identify myself with Occupy but now I do
4
I have and I do identify myself with Occupy
999
Don’t know/No answer
28 – PAGE BREAK
29 – v_15 TEXT
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
In what city/cities or town/s have you participated? (Maximum characters: 50)
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
30 – v_16 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
When have you participated in Occupy? (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
July-August 2011
2
September 2011
3
October 2011
4
November 2011
5
December 2011
6
January-June 2012
7
July-December 2012
8
January-December 2013
9
January 2014-Present
999
Don’t know/No answer
31 – v_17 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
Before Occupy, you had participated in... (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Movements related to Internet and online activism
2
Political parties
3
Unions
4
Social movements
5
NGOs, non-profits, associations
6
Solidarity, activist groups, alliance groups
7
Churches, charities
8
Others
9
None
999
Don’t know/No answer
32 – v_18 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
Currently you participate in... (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Movements related to Internet and online activism
2
Political parties
3
Unions
4
Social movements
5
NGOs, non-profits, associations
6
Solidarity, activist groups, alliance groups
7
Churches, charities
8
Others
9
None
999
Don’t know/No answer
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
33 – v_19 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
Did any movement or organization influenced you to participate in Occupy? (You can
tick more than one)
Codes
1
Global Movement
2
Free software movement
3
Arab Spring
4
Food not bombs
5
15-M/Indignados in Spain
6
Climate Camp
7
MoveOn
8
IWW
9
Tea Party
10
ICFI
11
End the Fed
12
ISO
13
Wikileaks
14
Anonymous
15
None
999
Don't know/No answer
34 – PAGE BREAK
35 – v_20 MCQ PLUS
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
Do you associate any of these movements with Occupy? (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Open Source, free software and free culture movement (STOP SOPA-STOP PIPA, ...)
2
Arab Spring
3
#Yosoy132 in Mexico
4
Occupy in the UK
5
Occupy Canada
6
15-M/Indignados in Spain
7
Gezi Park in Turkey
8
Passe livre in Brazil
9
Sintagma Square in Greece
10
Euromaidan in Ukraine
11
None
999
Don't know/No answer
0
(Open field) Other
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
36 – v_21 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
The problems that led you to participate in Occupy were... (You can tick more than
one)
Codes
1
Economic crisis
2
Corruption
3
Lack of democracy
4
Social cuts
5
Housing
6
Economic inequality
7
Unemployment/underemployment
8
Student debt
9
Environmental crisis
10
Financial institutions bail out
11
Immigration and racism
12
Other motives
13
No particular motive
999
Don't know/No answer
37 – v_22 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
In Occupy, you have participated... (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
In a demonstration (direct action, protest)
2
Camping in a square
3
In an assembly
4
Via online social networks
5
In online social networks while attending events, camping...
6
Recording video / streaming
7
Making a poster
8
Writing a post on a blog
9
Organizing an action
10
Stopping an eviction
11
Signing an online petition
12
Contributing to a crowdfunding
13
Emailing politicians
14
Participating in a cultural/artistic project or action
15
Participating in a blockade
16
Shutting down a bank, port...
17
Participating in a flash mob
18
Doing community outreach
19
Attending City Council or Town Hall meetings
20
Made a newsletter or newspaper
21
Other
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52
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
22
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
You did not participate in any activity related to Occupy
Don't know/No answer
38 – PAGE BREAK
39 – COMMENT
Some questions on the use of media and digital technologies
40 – v_23 MCQ
Phrasing
Codes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
999
Have you used any of these channels to inform yourself and/or to spread information
about Occupy? (You can tick more than one)
Television
Radio
Print media
Digital media (including websites)
Word of mouth
Social networking sites
Others
None
Don't know/No answer
41 – v_24 MCQ
Phrasing
How did you first hear about Occupy? (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Television
2
Radio
3
Print media
4
Digital media (including websites)
5
Word of mouth
6
Social networking sites
7
Others
8
None
999
Don't know/No answer
42 – v_25 MCQ
Phrasing
Have you used any of these devices with Internet access to get and/or spread
information about Occupy? (You can tick more than one)
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53
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Codes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Mobile phone
Tablet
Laptop
Computer desktop
Smart TV
Other
None
Don't know/No answer
43 – v_26 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1
Phrasing
For issues related to Occupy you have used... (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Twitter
2
Facebook
3
YouTube
4
Reddit
5
WhatsApp
6
Mumble
7
Skype, Google Talk, Google Voice
8
Tumblr
9
Forums
10
Chat/IRC
11
Blogs
12
Websites
13
Flickr
14
Instagram
15
Bambuser
16
Ustream, Livestream
17
Mailing lists
18
Pads
19
Google Docs or other online shared documents
20
Google+
21
Webinars
22
SMS
23
Celly Loop
24
InterOccupy.net
25
OccupyWallSt.org
26
Other
27
None
999
Don't know/No answer
44 – v_27 SCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 0 OR 999
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series promoted by the Universitat Oberta
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Working Papers (2017)
ISSN 2462-7461
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54
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Phrasing
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Have you shared information or opinions related to Occupy in online social
networks?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
999
Don't know/No answer
45 – PAGE BREAK
46 – v_28 MATRIX SCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1 AND v_26 ≠ 27 AND v_26 ≠ 999
Phrasing
You told us that you have used some technologies in relation to Occupy.
V_28
Your frequency of use after Occupy is...
Codes
1
Lower
2
The same
3
Higher
999
Don't know/No answer
47 – v_29 MCQ
Only shows if v_13 = 1 AND v_26 ≠ 27 AND v_26 ≠ 999
Phrasing
Among the tools you have marked in the previous page, indicate whether you have
started to use some of them because of Occupy (You can tick more than one):
Codes
1
Twitter
(Only shows if v_26 = 1)
2
Facebook
(Only shows if v_26 = 2)
3
YouTube
(Only shows if v_26 = 3)
4
Reddit
(Only shows if v_26 = 4)
5
WhatsApp
(Only shows if v_26 = 5)
6
Mumble
(Only shows if v_26 = 6)
7
Skype, Google Talk, Google Voice
(Only shows if v_26 = 7)
8
Tumblr
(Only shows if v_26 = 8)
9
Forums
(Only shows if v_26 = 9)
10
Chat/IRC
(Only shows if v_26 = 10)
11
Blogs
(Only shows if v_26 = 11)
12
Websites
(Only shows if v_26 = 12)
13
Flickr
(Only shows if v_26 = 13)
14
Instagram
(Only shows if v_26 = 14)
15
Bambuser
(Only shows if v_26 = 15)
16
Ustream, Livestream
(Only shows if v_26 = 16)
17
Mailing lists
(Only shows if v_26 = 17)
18
Pads
(Only shows if v_26 = 18)
19
Google Docs or other online shared documents (Only shows if v_26 = 19)
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Working Papers (2017)
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55
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
999
Google+
Webinars
SMS
Celly Loop
InterOccupy.net
OccupyWallSt.org
Other
None
Don't know/No answer
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
(Only shows if v_26 = 20)
(Only shows if v_26 = 21)
(Only shows if v_26 = 22)
(Only shows if v_26 = 23)
(Only shows if v_26 = 24)
(Only shows if v_26 = 25)
(Only shows if v_26 = 26)
48 – PAGE BREAK
49 – COMMENT
A few questions on emotions in Occupy
50 – v_30 SCQ
Phrasing
Were the early days of Occupy an important emotional experience for you?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
999
Don't know/No answer
51 – v_31 SCQ
Phrasing
Is Occupy in its current form an important emotional experience for you?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
999
Don't know/No answer
52 – v_32 MCQ
Phrasing
Codes
1
2
3
4
5
What emotions did you feel in relation to Occupy at the time of the camps in 2011?
(You can tick more than one)
Joy
Disgust
Empowerment
Hope
Frustration
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Illusion
Indifference
Indignation
Fear
Nostalgia
Rage
Sadness
Other
Don't know/No answer
53 – v_33 MCQ
Phrasing
What emotions do you feel in relation to Occupy now? (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Joy
2
Disgust
3
Disappointment
4
Empowerment
5
Hope
6
Frustration
7
Illusion
8
Indifference
9
Indignation
10
Fear
11
Nostalgia
12
Rage
13
Sadness
14
Other
999
Don't know/No answer
54 – PAGE BREAK
55 – COMMENT
On the evolution of Occupy
56 – v_34 MCQ
Phrasing
From your experience, which of the following statements do you agree with? (You
can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Occupy had a great impact at first but then disintegrated
2
Occupy is still relevant
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57
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
3
4
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Occupy ended when the encampments did
Occupy has mutated into other events, actions, projects, or processes
Don't know/No answer
57 – v_35 MCQ PLUS
Phrasing
Do you associate any of these groups or processes with Occupy? (You can tick more
than one)
Codes
1
Strike Debt
2
Encampments
3
Occupy Sandy
4
Neighborhood Assemblies
5
InterOccupy
6
May Day General Strike
7
Immigrant and Worker Justice
8
Research Justice
9
Free University
10
None
999
Don't know/No answer
0
(Open field) Other
58 – v_36 MCQ PLUS
Phrasing
Have you participated in any of them? (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Strike Debt
2
Encampments
3
Occupy Sandy
4
Neighborhood Assemblies
5
InterOccupy
6
May Day General Strike
7
Immigrant and Worker Justice
8
Research Justice
9
Free University
10
None
999
Don't know/No answer
0
(Open field) Other
59 – PAGE BREAK
60 – COMMENT
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series promoted by the Universitat Oberta
de Catalunya
Working Papers (2017)
ISSN 2462-7461
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58
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Some questions on elections
61 – v_37 SCQ
Phrasing
Do you think Occupy has had or will have an effect on political elections in the US?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
999
Don't know/No answer
62 – v_38 SCQ
Phrasing
Do you think Occupy influenced the New York City mayoral election of de Blasio last
November?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
999
Don't know/No answer
63 – v_39 MCQ PLUS
Phrasing
Which of the following electoral formations do you perceive as associated with
Occupy (either in terms of values, people, etc.)? (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Green Party
Working Families Party
Socialist Alternative
Libertarian Party
Ron Paul's party
Independent
No party
None
999
0
Don't know/No answer
(Open field) Other
64 – v_40 SCQ
Phrasing
What political ideology do you most identify with?
Codes
1
Anarchism
2
Communism
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Conservatism
Environmentalism
Feminism
Liberalism
Nationalism
Socialism
Other
Don’t know/No answer
65 – PAGE BREAK
66 – COMMENT
Finally, on your perception of the effects of Occupy
67 – v_41 MCQ
Phrasing
You think Occupy has changed... (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
The issues that interest you
2
The media agenda
3
Your way of understanding politics
4
The practices of social movements
5
Your vote intention
6
The ability of people to change things
7
Your forms of political participation
8
The perception of capitalism
9
The perception of or attention to economic justice
10
What you consider desirable in a society
11
What you consider intolerable in a society
12
Nothing
13
Other
999
Don’t know/No answer
68 – v_42 MCQ
Phrasing
Since Occupy you have... (You can tick more than one)
Codes
1
Joined a credit union
2
Attended more community events
3
Started shopping local or at farmer's markets
4
Participated in local, state, or federal election
5
Stopped voting
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60
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
999
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Attended City Council or Town Hall meetings
Sought out more local news
Sought out more national news
Sought out more foreign news
Sought out information on political ideologies different from my own
Sympathize with struggles in countries other than my own
Began a community group to address local issues and ordinances
Attended protests for issues that do not affect me directly
Only purchase products from companies that are not part of the 1%, when possible
Other
Not engaged in any new kind of activity or behavior
Don't know/No answer
69 – v_43 TEXT
Phrasing
70 – v_44 TEXT
Phrasing
Please complete the following statement: "I believe the greatest impact of Occupy
was..." (Not mandatory to answer) (Maximum characters: 100)
Please complete the following statement: "The biggest impact of Occupy in my life
has been..." (Not mandatory to answer) (Maximum characters: 100)
71 – PAGE BREAK
72 – v_45 MATRIX SCQ
Phrasing
You think Occupy has affected the reputation of...
v_45_1
Public Institutions (Congress, the police...)
v_45_2
Political parties
v_45_3
Unions
v_45_4
Social movements
v_45_5
Media
v_45_6
Financial institutions and banks
v_45_7
The Internet to organize protests
Codes
1
Negatively
2
Not at all
3
Positively
999
Don't know/No answer
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
73 – v_46 MCQ PLUS
Phrasing
¿ You think Occupy has influenced the following areas... (You can tick more than
one)
Codes
1
Housing
2
Transparency
3
Democracy
4
Education
5
Health
6
Mass media
7
Economy
8
Arts and culture
9
Nothing
999
Don't know/No answer
0
(Open field) Other
74 – v_47 SCQ
Phrasing
Do you believe Occupy contributes to a social and political change?
Codes
0
No
1
Yes
2
Yes, in part
3
Yes, but only in the long term
999
Don't know/No answer
75 – PAGE BREAK
76 – COMMENT
Now that you have completed the questionnaire, please send your responses by clicking on the "SUBMIT"
button at the bottom.
We sincerely thank you for participating in the #OccupySurvey.
We remind you that this survey is an initiative of the Networks, Movements and Technopolitics research
group linked to the IN3-Open University of Catalonia under the framework of the Balzan Project, and in
collaboration with the @Datanalysis15M network.
All answers are ANONYMOUS (we do not know who answers). The data provided by you will be treated in
a completely confidential manner.
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de Catalunya
Working Papers (2017)
ISSN 2462-7461
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
The results of the survey will be shared to the public at the following webpage and in Twitter through the
HT #OccupySurvey.
We invite you to spread this survey among your contacts.
Follow us at @Tecnopolitica and @Datanalysis15M.
In case of doubts, or if you want more information:
[email protected]
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63
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Annex 2
Table 27. Basic socio-demographic characteristics split by participation in OWS (%)
Male
Female
Self-describe
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=384)
52.1
44.5
3.4
60.1
37.7
2.2
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=522)
54.2
42.7
3.1
Age (mean)
Age (standard deviation)
39.86
15.36
38.64
14.71
39.54
15.19
University
Secondary School
Primary studies
73.7
25.0
1.3
65.0
33.6
1.5
71.4
27.3
1.4
Place of birth
US
Europe
Canada
Asia
Oceania
Other American country
77.1
12.0
6.8
1.6
1.3
0.8
70.3
14.5
9.4
1.4
0.0
2.2
75.3
12.6
7.5
1.5
1.0
1.1
Place of residence
US
Europe
Canada
Oceania
Non-Hispanic White or Euro-American
Latino or Hispanic American
Native American or Alaskan Native
Black, Afro-Caribbean, or African American
East Asian or Asian American
Middle Eastern or Arab American
South Asian or Indian American
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Other
Don’t know/No answer
80.7
8.3
8.1
1.6
84.3
5.7
4.4
2.1
1.6
0.8
0.3
0.3
7.6
2.9
72.5
12.3
11.6
0.0
80.3
5.8
1.5
1.5
1.5
0.7
0.7
0.0
8.8
2.9
78.5
9.4
9.0
1.1
83.3
5.8
3.7
1.9
1.5
0.8
0.4
0.2
7.9
2.9
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OTHERS
(N=138)
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants values (except for “other” and “don’t know/no answer” in
racial or ethnical heritage). Categories listed in racial or ethnical heritage are non-exclusive (column values do not add 100%). No
statistically significant associations were found after running chi-square tests (gender, education, place of birth, place of residence
and racial or ethnical heritage) and ANOVA test (age).
Table 28. Economic and working situation split by participation in OWS (%)
I'm in debt
Working full time
Working part time*
Student
Stable job
Self-employed
Permanent job
Freelancer
Unsteady job
Retired
Unemployed
Working without a contract*
I have no income
Temporary work
Unpaid domestic work (caretaker, homemaker)
Other
Don’t know/No answer
OWS
PARTICIPANTS
(N=383)
36.3
29.2
23.2
20.1
19.6
14.4
13.3
12.8
11.5
10.2
9.7
7.8
7.0
6.5
6.5
6.3
0.3
OTHERS
(N=138)
28.3
30.4
14.5
21.7
17.4
11.6
14.5
9.4
5.8
8.7
5.8
2.2
5.1
5.8
5.8
2.2
0.7
TOTAL
SAMPLE
(N=521)
34.2
29.6
20.9
20.5
19.0
13.6
13.6
11.9
10.0
9.8
8.6
6.3
6.5
6.3
6.3
5.2
0.4
Note. Categories sorted in descending order according to OWS participants’ values. Categories listed are non-exclusive (column
values do not add 100%). Chi-square tests ran to check statistically significant associations. *p < 0.05.
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65
Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Resumen
La aparición de movimientos sociales en red en 2011 ha abierto una nueva puerta en la literatura de movimientos
sociales. Mediante la adopción de un enfoque tecnopolítico y situado, en este artículo, exploramos el caso del
movimiento Occupy Wall Street tres años después de su formación en septiembre de 2011. Mediante una
encuesta en línea y un procedimiento de muestreo no probabilístico, nos enfocamos especialmente en las
percepciones y opiniones de los participantes en el movimiento. Distinguimos siete secciones temáticas: la
relación con el movimiento, la participación política previa y las motivaciones, el uso de las tecnologías de la
información y la comunicación (TICs), las emociones vividas, la evolución del movimiento, su influencia en la
política institucional, y sus impactos en diferentes aspectos de la vida social. Los resultados muestran que los
encuestados (N=522) son generalmente adherentes al movimiento y que la mayoría participó en algún momento.
Además, la mayoría piensa que el movimiento sigue vivo bajo una forma u otra, y perciben sus impactos en
diferentes áreas, instituciones, comportamientos, e ideas. Concluimos describiendo OWS como un caso que se
ajusta adecuadamente al concepto de movimiento social en red. Finalmente, sugerimos pasos futuros en la
comprensión de estos movimientos mediante la aplicación de la encuesta en línea diseñada para este estudio a la
vez que complementando los análisis con otros métodos de investigación.
Palabras clave
Occupy Wall Street, Movimientos sociales en red, Tecnopolítica, Tecnologías de la información y la comunicación
(TICs), EE.UU.
Resum
L'aparició de moviments socials en xarxa el 2011 ha obert una nova porta en la literatura de moviments socials.
Mitjançant l'adopció d'un enfocament tecnopolític i situat, en aquest article, explorem el cas del moviment
Occupy Wall Street tres anys després de la seva formació al setembre del 2011. A través d'un estudi en línia i un
procediment de mostreig no probabilístic, ens hi enfoquem especialment en les percepcions i opinions dels
participants del moviment. Fem disintció set seccions temàtiques: la relació amb el moviment, la participació
política prèvia i les motivacions, l'ús de les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació (TICs), les emocions
viscudes, l'evolució del moviment, la seva influència en la política institucional, i els seus impactes en diferents
aspectes de la vida social. Els resultats mostren que els enquestats (N=522) són generalment adherents al
moviment i que la majoria va participar en algun moment. A més, la majoria pensa que el moviment encara és viu
d'una forma o l'altra, i perceben els seus impactes en diferents àrees, institucions, comportaments, i idees.
Concloem descrivint OWS com un cas que s'ajusta adequadament al concepte de moviment social en xarxa.
Finalment, suggerim pasos futurs en la comprensió d'aquests moviments per mitjà de l'aplicació de l'enquesta en
línia dissenyada per a aquest estudi alhora que complementant les anàlisis amb altres mètodes d'investigació.
Paraules clau
Occupy Wall Street, Moviments socials en xarxa, Tecnopolitica, Tecnologies de la información i la comunicación
(TICs), EUA
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Arnau Monterde
[email protected]
Communication Networks & Social Change Research Group (CNSC)
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Arnau Monterde has a PhD in the Information and Knowledge Society at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. His
research focuses on two main fields: the study of emerging social movements and their relationship with
technology, and forms of political participation and network democracy.
More information about the author at: <http://tecnopolitica.net/ArnauMonterde>.
Antonio Calleja-López
[email protected]
Communication Networks & Social Change Research Group (CNSC)
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Antonio Calleja‐López is BA in Philosophy, MA in Political Science, Philosophy and Sociology, and PhD in
Sociology at the University of Exeter. He works as a researcher at the Communication Networks & Social Change
Research Group (CN&SC).
More information about the author at: <http://tecnopolitica.net/antonio‐calleja‐lopez>.
Daniel Blanche
[email protected]
Communication Networks & Social Change Research Group (CNSC)
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Daniel Blanche is BA in Communication, MA in Sociology, MA in Socio‐Demography, and currently PhD candidate
in Political and Social Sciences at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. He is research assistant at
the Communication Networks & Social Change Research Group (CN&SC).
More information about the author at: <http://www.communicationchange.net/en/daniel‐blanche/>.
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Occupy Wall Street: The movement in its third anniversary
Daniel Blanche, Antonio Calleja-López, Mireia FernándezArdèvol & Arnau Monterde
Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol
[email protected]
Communication Networks & Social Change Research Group (CNSC)
IN3-Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Mireia Fernández‐Ardèvol is interested in the impacts of mobile communication in our societies, and one of her
areas of interest is their role in networked social movements. With a background on economics and
econometrics, she holds a PhD from the University of Barcelona.
More information about the author at: <http://www.communicationchange.net/en/mireia‐fernandez‐ardevol/>.
Working Papers is a research monograph
series promoted by the Universitat Oberta
de Catalunya
Working Papers (2017)
ISSN 2462-7461
working-papers.uoc.edu
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