SOCIAL MOVEMENT ACTIVISM

Team Faculty Mentor:  Elizabeth Borland

Student Researcher:  Joanna De Leon

Our study of social movements in Trenton, NJ focuses on anti-violence initiatives and Latino/a community advocacy.  Through theory-driven archival research, participant observation, and interviews with community leaders, we examined Trenton area organizations’ activities, infrastructure, and perspectives on local, as well as national, social issues.  This ongoing project advanced research efforts that took place during the summer of 2006, allowing us to expand on our already existing knowledge and understanding of activism through Trenton’s social, economic, and political contexts.  From a preliminary analysis of the data collected thus far, we have been able to observe not only the manner in which social movement groups work within their environments, but several points of comparison between the two movements as well.  Religion plays a prominent role in both movements.  They are also both relatively young and small in size.  However, the data also suggests that major differences exist, particularly in regards to the level of grassroots involvement in each movement, activists’ perceptions of the communities they serve, and movement groups’ characterization of and approach to the issues they address.  Our research remains a work in progress as the findings lead us in the direction of deeper analytical work.

Personal Statement by Joanna De Leon