Political protest as factor of communication between power and society

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Political protest as factor of communication between power and society

Garaschuk E.

The phenomenon of political protest as effective form of dialogue between citizens and existent power in the process of social, political and economic transformations is examined, because in times of crisis it is this form of society's response to the events leading becomes. Аs political protest is the instrument of communication its ability to influence on a political process depends on many factors: resources of protest (legal field, human, material, temporal capitals), scenario of protest, possibilities of resistance and others like that. Attention is drawn to the fact that the development of the global Internet to create new mechanisms for interaction and feedback between society and government, and direct communication between the parts and members of the community. With development of virtual communication technologies the role of social networks in development of protest moods and mobilization of population becomes dominant, social networks grow into the decision factor of forming of civil society, go out into first place among the agents of informative influence. Therefore facilities of communication of the modern informative world by establishment of unlimited communication of no less unlimited amount of participants of society, presently are pre-condition of possibility of revival of archaic forms of direct democracy.

Keywords: political protest, political communication, protest communication, forms of political protest, dialogue ofpower and society.

A word «protest» comes from Latin «protestor» - «publicly I prove») and means objection. Protest means open expression of sharp disagreement, decisive objection against anything. Political protest as «conscious non-fulfillment of the rules set by the political mode» or «variety of action of the falling short of to the legal and traditional norms mode» is mostly understood [1].

Political protest is the effective method of communication between power and citizen. Its ability to influence on a political process depends on many factors: resources of protest (legal field, human, material, temporal capitals), scenario of protest, possibilities of resistance and others like that.

The Ukrainian permanent socio-economic crisis requires social and political transformations in reply to the calls of time, stabilizing of political and economic development of society must become the aim of that. One of major factors of influence on this process is a dialogue between society and power, support by society of the political mode. High level of political culture, ability of population to protest, a presence of legitimate mechanisms of its realization is the sign of maturity of civil society, increases probability of construction of democratic institutes and mechanisms of realization of power.

On one or another events of time there always is one or another reaction of society, that or by another method political participation and political communication expresses the attitude toward the existent mode and norms of existence. Protest is one of forms of political communication, therefore appropriately, that in the terms of crisis exactly this form of reaction of society on what be going on events becomes leading.

So, today in Ukraine dissatisfaction socially by economic position, a corruption, lawlessness, limitations of rights and freedoms of man and citizen, cause a mistrust to power, aspiring to changing of political leaders. All these factors compel citizens to express the disagreement in one or another protest form.

In the exposure of motivational basis of protest moods in Ukrainian society the last years expressive is a next tendency: most (60 %) protest actions are related to the socio-economic questions, less measure - with ideological and political (25 %o), and also with the questions of protection of human (17 %) rights [2]. Thus, reasons of protest actions are conditioned foremost by those questions that disturb the most Ukrainian citizens. Most they are disturbed by the questions of unemployment, economic development, corruption and self-will of power, standard of prices, durability of national currency, social standards, health protection and ecology, political stability [3].

Majdan connected in itself basic descriptions of protest communications of Ukraine and was embodiment and logical result of basic progress of protest motion trends in a country on the whole. At the same time special features of Ukrainian protest motion that is the form of communication with power and form of influence on power, allow to characterize its displays as local attempts of establishment of direct democracy and elemental control of civil society above power, and Majdan - as a form of direct democracy [4].

Today with development of information communicative technologies the corresponding nonpolitical mechanisms of providing of co-operation and feed-back between society and power and direct connection between parts and members of society are created [5].

Substantially distinguishes Euromajdan from Majdan-2004 degree of using of the informative-communication providing and co-ordination of co-operations. In becoming of Euromajdan a decision role was played by social networks in the Internet, and the further course of events was mainly determined by the rapidity of co-operation both in social networks and due to mobile communication of participants, supporters and not indifferent.

As sociological researches of role of social networks testify in development of protest moods and mobilization of population [6], social networks grew into the decision factor of forming of civil society in Ukraine, going out into first place among the agents of informative influence.

Therefore facilities of communication of the modern informative world by establishment of unlimited communication of no less unlimited amount of participants of society, presently are pre-condition of possibility of revival of archaic forms of direct democracy, provided by a direct communication in the mode of the not only set aside but also real time.

However in the conditions when on representative democracy the political mode is lay on hard limitations and it transforms to not true democracy, only supported by technical- communicative possibilities of revival of direct democracy as displays of sovereign power of community above political processes able to turn development of society in the civilized frames.

Consequently, transformation of mutual relations of civil society and state, forms and methods of display of protest motions in the whole world is investigation of development of general progress of informative society trends in the globalized world, that allows to forecast further distribution and height of weight of forms of direct democracy and role of civil society in the structure of imperious relations.

The same social networks and other communicative facilities provide the rapid going out of protest actions beyond some borders and transformation of them in transparent, transfrontal and global.

Protest as a mechanism of communication with power can be expressed in active and passive forms. The active forms of protest come true mainly publicly and require from the participants of activity constituent: to plan a mass action, prepare an attribute, invite the group of support, come on collection, cry out slogans, prepare an appeal, sign petition etc. As an example, it is possible to say about the mass meeting and pickets of imperious structures, street actions up against a political course.

The passives of political protest do not require public activity, and are less communicative. They are shown up in ignoring of elections voting against all, political apathy. The displays of passive protest reduce democratic potential of society considerably, that especially dangerously for transitional societies, as a dialogue of society and power is absent in this situation, that negatively affects on forming of democratic mechanisms in the process of acceptance of political decisions.

Settlement of problem situations that arise up in a public policy it takes place sufficiently often in the so-called mode of emergencies. Such reacting «in the hand mode» takes place usually because power does not own information, preliminary estimates and prognoses failing her in relation to the credible reaction of society, separate task forces on certain political decisions.

Narrowing of the frames of realization of rights for citizens to make peaceful collections becomes an additional irritant, in fact Constitution of Ukraine is assure a right for citizens to «gather peacefully, without a weapon and to hold meeting, mass meeting, hikes and demonstrations about realization of that executive bodies or organs of local self-government» are informed in advance. Thus, exceptionally important are political-legal terms of realization of right citizens on protest, exactly those possibilities, that gives a legislation them in defending by them the rights, interests, freedoms and practice of their embodiment. As results of the sociological questioning testify, in case of violation of rights and freedoms, citizens are inclined the most effective facilities of their defending are to consider the collection of signatures under collective petitions, legal mass meeting and demonstrations, participating in pre-election campaigns, picketing of public institutions, refuse to execute the decision of administration, government bodies, and also threat, unauthorized mass meeting and demonstrations, a strike [7].

Considerable part of protests is accompanied by advancement of certain requirements, suggestions to public and local self-government bodies, employers, communal and private enterprises, other subjects of social imperious relations authorities. In this context, on the increase of level of protest moods and, actually, protest actions the effectiveness of report to authorities of position of citizens on a certain question directly influences. It touches addresses to authorities, authorities listening, consultations authorities with public, social dialogue and others like that. At the same time, meetings' holding, hikes, strikes, pickets, demonstrations, mass meeting with the aim of protection of rights or defending of interests largely takes place at initiative and support of public organizations and motions, trade unions, political parties.

The specific of protest moods, usually, is considered the all-sufficient indicator of efficiency of the political and legal system, one of basic indexes of trust of population to state power. In the end, the politic-legal context of realization of right for citizens on peaceful protest certainly affects to development of civil society. Distribution of protest moods and growth of social tension are on the whole a reaction on socio-economic problems and expectations of citizens related to them, on intensifying of conflicts in a political plane.

Aspiration of society to carry protest massage to the imperious structures and a hope to get a feed-back is basic motive force of protest and this aspiration grows from mass dissatisfaction and lack of coincidence of reality with expectations of people [2].

It is important to understand that political protest is the inalienable feature of healthy political process, and that citizens come running to the different types of protest communication with power, when possibilities of traditional political participation are outspent or uneffective. And than more factors influence on forming of protest potential, that anymore it will be raise power of protest actions, and a greater social base they will embrace.

political protest power social

References

1. Safronov V. V. Potential of protest and democratic prospect [Text] / V. V. Safronov // Magazine of sociology and social anthropology. -- 1998. -- № 4. -- P. 3-10.