Zachary Steinert-Threlkeld, University of California

“Investigating Emotions and Protest Dynamics From Large-scale Observational Data”

Friday, January 17, 2025 - 1:30pm to 3:00pm
The Olson Room, Gowen Hall 1A

Gradudate Student Discussant: Jihyeon Bae, UW

Abstract: Understanding the role of emotions in protest participation is critical for advancing theories of political mobilization. This paper addresses gaps in the study of emotions and protests by analyzing emotions expressed in 22,292 geolocated protest images across twelve protest waves in ten countries. Using computer vision models, the study categorizes the expressed emotions of the 96,857 faces in those images and explores their relationship with protest size. The findings challenge existing theories, suggesting that emotions and protest dynamics are more complex than previously understood. For instance, while anger, disgust, and happiness are expected to correlate with increased protest size, and fear and sadness with decreases, the results show mixed correlations, including an unexpected negative relationship between happiness and subsequent protest size. This research highlights the need for further empirical work to refine the understanding of the relationship between emotions and protest behavior.

“Investigating Emotions and Protest Dynamics From Large-scale Observational Data”