The main reason I like the Student Worker Alliance so much, even as I’m unsure of my support of their platform, is that they have the chutzpah to raise hell.

Doing good on campus virtually always takes the form of raising awareness. There’s an awareness week for everything: sexual assault, Latin America, eating disorders, etc.

Raising awareness just isn’t enough. Positive change requires actively fighting. The number of times I’ve heard students and administrators say they’re “having conversations” to address such-and-such problem makes me want to puke.

By contrast, on top of the 24×7 sit-in in Admissions, two protestors climbed the north face of Busch Hall yesterday to hang a banner supporting living wage. Quite literally, they risked life and limb for something they cared about.

SWA’s been fighting for a while now. They’ve steadily escalated the intensity of their activism as the chancellor has repeatedly refused to give campus workers a living wage and other benefits. He rejected his own living wage taskforce’s recommendation to implement a living wage on campus.

Faced with the most powerful man on campus being obstinate, SWA activated the nuclear option of underdogs everywhere: shame.

SWA’s been on the rampage since shaming the University to review its Taco Bell contract because of Taco Bell’s unacceptable labor practices. The tactic has worked so well, in fact, that they got Student Union involved. Normally, SU is quite cozy with the administration (they love “having conversations”). With Taco Bell, SWA forced SU to actually find out what students wanted rather than cowing to the administration, leading to the impending departure of the chain.

And let’s not forget that in 2003, SWA leaked the fact that the University wanted to secretly deport some Nicaraguan workers to hide the University’s own shady dealings with the contractor that employed the Nicaraguans. SWA got concessions from the University because they shamed the University.

Activists or anyone who wants to advance the common good take note: the only way you make significant progress is by raising hell. “Having conversations” does little, as SWA has found time and time again. At best, you’ll get incremental improvements.

That’s why I see so few organizations on this campus as truly effective-they’re afraid to throw mud.

The Harvard psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg said that most adults’ moral code is merely avoiding social disapproval and seeking approval, or obeying the law. Forget commitments to human rights or other universal ethical principles, people are more motivated by shame and fear of breaking the rules.

This explains why SWA has been effective where others haven’t-SWA effectively employs shame, others don’t.

Such image-tarnishing tactics would be effective against SU, Greeks and other image-conscious groups and persons (which means pretty much anybody). If I had a dollar for every time somebody complained to me about negative press (even if completely accurate), I’d be retired by now.

Like SWA, Student Life understands that progress requires truthful mudslinging, because shame makes the world go forward. That’s why we expose shady SU dealings, Greek misconduct and the administration’s student-unfriendly policies: we want to be part of the solution to campus problems and injustices.

A cautionary tale: exposing the truth cuts both ways. When SWA started their sit-in, they were excited about the press being there. After the second day of being largely ignored by the University, though, they’re becoming irritable. They’ve kicked out reporters and invoked secrecy in meetings-in short, the signs of a group with something to hide.

(It’s ironic that in an act of civil disobedience, SWA seems to be using the police to keep undesirables out of Admissions. Apparently, the administration supports the policy, meaning that even as SWA fights the administration, protestors are hiding behind Wrighton’s aegis.)

And they have nothing to hide but frustration at their ineffectiveness. By ignoring them, the University is trying to embarrass SWA into discontent and ultimately, disbanding.

Student leaders should study this situation as a model for future action. SU can learn that cooperating with the administration isn’t always the most effective path; some truthful mudslinging might shake things up a bit. Greeks should start publicly shaming members that don’t uphold Greek ideals. And individuals can further progress by whistleblowing, calling attention to injustices.

Positive change starts with having the courage to raise hell.

Popularity: 1% [?]

 Print This Post

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2005 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Forum. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.