Resource Type: Social Science Research

You’ve probably heard a lot from us about evidence-based advocacy, but what are we talking about when we talk about “evidence?” Does it mean we privilege academic research that has withstood the rigor of peer review, or that we should raise up lessons learned through the hard work of organizing on the ground? Do we gather evidence from a bird’s-eye view of the public at large through polling, a detailed examination of a particular audience through interviewing, or an introspective analysis of how our own organizations and coalitions operate? The short answer is that we think all of it matters as long as the insights generated can help us be more effective, challenge our assumptions, and grow as a movement. This post examines how we think about evidence at the Lab and how we can break evidence down into the categories of Listening, Watching, Tinkering, and Reflecting*.

             
Social science research affirms the need for “critical capacities” of effective social movements (narrative, disruptive, electoral/institutional). What are these? How do we develop them in our campaigning and organizing work? In this training, we will work through the meaning of the critical capacities and their utility in multi-racial cross-class organizing. We will review case studies about how different coalitions have developed and sustained their critical capacities using evidence-based advocacy.
 

President Biden delivered his first State of the Union on Tuesday night, addressing the US response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as a variety of domestic policy concerns – from COVID to inflation to prescription drug prices. He only spoke briefly about climate change, highlighting the cost-saving and job-creation benefits of “Build Back Better” policies that would invest in home weatherization, electric vehicles, and renewable energy.
President Biden also announced the release of 30 billion barrels of oil from the strategic reserve (booo!) and, notably, failed to even mention the recent IPCC report, which details “terrifying” current and projected climate impacts. Just across the street, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on West Virginia vs. EPA, which could undermine the agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon emission from power plants.
The Lab last covered the “state of the climate movement” back in 2019, when Democrats had just regained control of the House, we were writing explainers on Green New Deal, and global pandemics were the stuff of scary movies. All of which is to say… it was a really different world!

The power of organizing is the ability to apply enough people-power to win – and keep – the changes we need for a future in which we can all thrive. This power is a renewable resource built through the trust and mutual accountability fostered by the relationships the organizer seeds between members and the organization, members and the organizer, and members and other members. This session will equip you to apply organizing principles and evidence-based advocacy insights to your work with volunteers.

Discussion of climate on the social media platform Reddit looks less like polarized echo chambers than other social media sites. This resource may be the first to study climate conversation on Reddit, specifically. While the researchers found some evidence of polarization on Reddit (in the form of the topics discussed and sources of information shared), other Reddit sub-communities see more deliberative debate. Reddit may be unique from Twitter and others insofar as it does show some types of quality political debate about climate. These researchers studied the topics discussed, information provided as evidence, and quality of debate among various Reddit communities.