DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS AND
NON-PARTICIPANTS
IN CAMPUS
DEMONSTRATIONS
RONALD
L. KIMBALL WILLIAM E. SEDLACEK
University
o f Maryland
College
Park, Maryland 20742
Researchers have become concerned with studying student
demonstrations from more behavioral standpoints (e.g. Schmidt and Sedlacek,
1971). However, student activists are still viewed as a minority of students
(Sampson, 1970.) It was the purpose of this study to determine the extent of
student participation in demonstrations at one institution and to compare
participants and non-participants on a number of attitudes.
An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 5671
students during one day of fall registration, 1970, at the University of
Maryland. The sample drawn should have been representative of all students
registering. New freshmen not previously in attendance at the University were
excluded from the sample.
The questionnaire contained 24 items, 20 of which
were on a 5 point Likert scale ranging from "strongly agree" to
"strongly disagree". (See Table 1). Those responding
"other" to each item were dropped from analysis of that item.
Subjects were grouped on the basis of their response to item 16 which read:
I participated in some way in a cam pus (any campus)
demonstration last year. Yes No
Differences between those responding Yes and No on
item 16 were compared, using t at the .001 level.
A total of 2830 (50%) answered Yes (Participants) to
question 16, and 2841 (50%) answered No (Non-participants). Table 1 shows
that there were differences (.001 level) between participants and
nonparticipants on all questionnaire items.
72
Participants were likely to feel that U.S. Foreign
Policy (item 15a), domestic crisis and campus communications (15 b and d)
caused campus disturbances rather than radicals or outside agitators (15 a and
f). Participants also tended to be more against defense spending (items 8 and
9), selective service (item 10) and the war in Vietnam (items 7a, b and c).
Participants also tended to feel that the National Guard intensified the
violence on campus (item 11) , and that the University should disclose more
about research (items 12 and 13) and should not maintain non-academic
student records.
A perhaps surprising finding was the number of
students who reported participating in a demonstration at an institution
generally thought of as nonactivist. The myth of only a handful of students
being involved is surely considerably weakened.
Based on these data, solutions to campus problems
such as expulsion of dissenters become bizarre. The writers feel that higher
education must deal directly with the social issues that so broadly affect
students. In effect, universities should be social-political problem
solvers.
Sampson, E. E. Student activism and the decade of protest.
In Sampson & Korn Eds.).
Student Activism and Protest. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
Inc., 1970.
Schmidt, D. K. & Sedlacek, W. E. An analysis of the
attitudes and behavior associated with student demonstrations on the Vietnam
war. College Student Journal 1971.
Reprint
from College Student Journal, November-December, 1971, Vol. 5, No. 3
|
Table 1: Means, Standard Deviations, and t-values
on Likert items for Participants and Non-Participants |
||||||||
|
|
Participants |
|
Non-Participants |
|
||||
|
Item Number |
N |
Mean* |
S.D. |
|
N |
Mean* |
S.D. |
t-Value** |
|
4. During the disruptions
last spring, the presence of the
National Guard intensified the violence. |
2779 |
2.04 |
1.15 |
|
2703 |
2.9 |
1.21 |
-27.12 |
|
5. After the disruptions
last spring, the presence of the National Guard made the campus safer. |
2763 |
3.74 |
1.12 |
|
2702 |
2.85 |
1.11 |
29.49 |
|
6. Campus police should
NOT routinely wear firearms on campus. |
2794 |
1.9 |
1.19 |
|
2780 |
2.66 |
1.33 |
-22.49 |
|
7. Regarding the U.S.
military involvement in S.E. Asia: a. We must have military victory. |
2736 |
4.25 |
1.08 |
|
2721 |
3.57 |
1.19 |
22.23 |
|
b. American combat
personnel should be withdrawn at a rate not endangering the government of
south Vietnam. |
2706 |
3.01 |
1.33 |
|
2739 |
2.43 |
1.14 |
17.22 |
|
c. Military aids and
troops should be withdrawn now. |
2757 |
2.25 |
1.34 |
|
2728 |
3.21 |
1.32 |
-26.58 |
|
8. National security
increases with the deployment of new missiles. |
2731 |
3.83 |
1.14 |
|
2722 |
3.25 |
1.11 |
19.25 |
|
9. Military and defense
expenses prevent us from meeting domestic needs. |
2782 |
1.76 |
0.95 |
|
2777 |
2.4 |
1.13 |
-22.95 |
|
10. Selective Service is a
good way to maintain a standing army to protect the country. |
2759 |
3.86 |
1.14 |
|
2772 |
3.12 |
1.16 |
24.04 |
|
11. We should support the
president of our country in all circumstances |
2772 |
4.26 |
0.98 |
|
2760 |
3.46 |
1.21 |
27.24 |
|
12. The source of funds
used for all University research should be made known to the University
community. |
2793 |
1.74 |
0.91 |
|
2792 |
2.25 |
1.02 |
-19.46 |
|
13. The University
community should know the nature of all University research projects. |
2790 |
1.95 |
1.05 |
|
2784 |
2.5 |
1.11 |
-18.97 |
|
14. The University
administration has neither the right nor the responsibility to accumulate
non-academic records on students. |
2780 |
1.97 |
1.11 |
|
2776 |
2.68 |
1.22 |
-22.55 |
|
15. The disturbance at
Maryland last spring were caused by: a. Foreign policy in S.E. Asia |
2787 |
1.8 |
0.85 |
|
2717 |
2.43 |
1.02 |
-24.95 |
|
b. Domestic and economic
crisis |
2778 |
2.42 |
1.06 |
|
2705 |
2.92 |
1.01 |
-17.7 |
|
c. Racial tension |
2768 |
3.16 |
1.13 |
|
2708 |
3.28 |
1.02 |
-3.95 |
|
d. Student frustration
with Administrative communication |
2785 |
1.8 |
0.9 |
|
2715 |
2.39 |
0.99 |
-23.34 |
|
e. Radicals |
2764 |
2.6 |
1.15 |
|
2715 |
2.16 |
1.02 |
14.81 |
|
f. Outside agitators |
2733 |
2.98 |
1.37 |
|
2681 |
2.35 |
1.07 |
18.13 |
|
g. Spring fever |
2717 |
3.31 |
1.34 |
|
2685 |
3.09 |
1.24 |
6.12 |
Scale
ranges from 1 = Strongly agree to 5 = Strongly disagree
a
two tailed t of 3.29 is significant at .001