Situational dynamics and the emergence of violence in protests.

Abstract

Objectives: This article investigates how situational dynamics influence the emergence of protest violence. Although common-sense explanations of violence focus on actors’ motivations and strategies, a situational turn is underway, emphasizing the relevance of the violent situation itself. This article assesses this situational approach, examining whether the emergence of violence can be explained by focusing on what occurs during a protest. Method: The article comparatively analyzes 30 protests occurring in the United States and Germany between 1960 and 2010. Using a triangulation of visual and document data, as well as participant observation, it analyzes over 1,000 data pieces, uses 2 samples, and conducts 3 steps of analysis: The article develops a situational approach using meticulous case reconstructions (employing Video Data Analysis), tests the approach by comparatively analyzing a random sample of violent and peaceful protests (employing Qualitative Comparative Analysis), and revisits cases to identify crucial dynamics and paths to protest violence. Results: The study identifies 5 behaviors by protesters and police during protests crucial for leading to violence if they occur in one of the following three combinations: a loss of control path, a missing information path, and an offense path. All 3 combinations trigger violence by changing actors’ situational interpretations and emotional dynamics. Conclusions: Findings suggest a purely situational approach—focusing on what happens during demonstrations—can provide a consistent and meaningful explanation for the emergence of violence. Alternative explanations are discussed, such as the relevance of background and context factors as risk factors to the emergence of violence.

Methodologische Entwicklungen in der Gewaltforschung.

“…Z. B. trianguliert Nassauer (2016Nassauer ( , 2018bNassauer ( , 2019b (Drury et al 2009;Hess 2019). Eine solche Triangulation von Datentypen und Datenerhebung verspricht für die Gewaltforschung enorme Vorteile, da speziell das Phänomen der Gewalt, wie oben besprochen, häufig verzerrt wahrgenommen wird und einzelne Quellen möglicherweise Aufmerksamkeit erregen, Rechtfertigungen bereitstellen oder Anschuldigungen anbringen wollen (Heitmeyer und Hagan 2002;Vrij et al 2014;Nassauer 2019a).…”

“…Zweitens können blinde Flecken von Videodaten beleuchtet werden: Viele Studien, die neuere Videodaten nutzen, um situative Dynamiken zu erforschen (z. B Collins 2008;Klusemann 2009;Nassauer 2018bNassauer , 2019b,. möchten z.…”

Analyzing 21st Century Video Data on Situational Dynamics—Issues and Challenges in Video Data Analysis

“…Videos capture the sequential nature of interactions and, through their outstandingly detailed information, allow tracing the dynamics of such sequences in unprecedented detail. They enable meticulous analyses of how situational dynamics impact social outcomes and contribute substantially to our understanding of social phenomena (e.g., Bramsen 2018;Collins 2008;Klusemann 2009;Levine et al 2011;Nassauer 2018a).…”

Keeping it peaceful: Twitter and the Gezi Park movement

“…Emotions can be transmitted from one individual to another, which in turn, may lead to violent behavior (Stolley, 2005). The presence of violent or extremist individual elements in a peaceful protest, or other “situational dynamics,” such as miscommunication between protesters may influence the behavior of non-violent activists and lead to the eruption of violence (Nassauer, 2018). Mooijman et al (2018) have explained that the degree of moralization of a cause can explain the turn to violence and social media can play a significant role in amplifying morally relevant rhetoric and thus provoking violence.…”