UCLA

In the summer of 2011, thousands of people unified and organized to create what is now known as the Occupy movement. To highlight the reckless financial practices that helped create a global economic crisis and a recession that has adversely affected the majority of Americans the movement's first protest took place on Wall Street in New York. Soon after, in cities across the country, people took to city halls and public spaces to join in the protest against economic and social inequalities. The social unrest displayed was an attempt by these protesters to influence government to the changing order of society.

This study focuses on a smaller but vociferous and fervent branch of the Occupy movement, Occupy Oakland. The City of Oakland has drawn a substantial amount of attention because of the decisions of its Mayor on how to cope with the protesters and the strength used by law enforcement to clear the encampments. Data were collected using a survey instrument designed to capture people who identify with the Occupy Oakland movement. I aim to convey information about the people involved in the movement by analyzing descriptive statistics under the scope of social movement theories. Moreover, through logistic regression I explore whether ethnicity, employment, gender, education or party affiliation are key indicators for the alignment with the general ideology of this movement, which is to fight for greater social justice and economic equality.