L E T ’S S TART a conversation about…
CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH
RESEARCH GOALS QUESTIONS WE WANT TO INVESTIGATE What motivates people to act, especially in a way that is different than normal? How do norms change on an individual basis? How do people talk about community and does the language influence their action? Is there any evidence that people are feeling more apathetically towards community?
SURVEY QUESTIONS Please list your three favorite public spaces. Pick one place explain why it is your favorite. What does the word community mean to you? Please list three website you visit everyday. Are you involved in community service? If yes, why did you become involved? Do you think it is important for people to do community service? Why or why not? What was a time you changed your mind about something? Explain the situation and why you changed your mind.
DEMOGRAPHICS AGE BREAKDOWN 15-20
20-30
30-40
40-50
50-65
GENDER MALE
FEMALE
65+
PUBLIC SPACES TYPES OF FAVORITE PLACES PARKS/GARDENS
BEACH
SHOPPING STREET
LIB/BOOKSTORE
COFFEE SHOP
RESTAURANT
REASONING FOR FAVORITE PLACES OUTDOORS/NATURE
RELAX/PEACEFUL
PEOPLE
MEMORIES
COMMUNITY
SOLITUDE
INSIGHTS People want to go to places where they won’t be over stimulated. If you want to be persuasive make sure you’re not part of the noise. The survey participants are attracted to things that are different than everyday life. The data shows the majority of people enjoy natural settings, which is something that has to be sought out because it not typical of most people’s daily experiences. As a result, we think physical environments can be applied as a persuasive tool in changing attiudes.
TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY LANGUAGE USED TO DESCRIBE COMMUNITY GROUP OF PEOPLE
COMMON LOCATION
SUPPORT STRUCTURE
COMMON GOALS
INTERACTION
A BOND
INSIGHTS We discovered a dilema for communicators—do you use the same language people have been using in order to reach them or do you reinvent it? Common location was a popular defining factor which also is the least active or interactive type of participation. There is an acknowledgement of virtual community having realistic influence.
WEBSITES
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While I think communities based on personal interactions are crucial, there are certainly benefits to maintaining virtual communities as well. A lot of human rights defenders rely on communities in the internet to gain support for their work, since they often face resistance in the places they are working.
BANKING
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NEWS/WEATHER
ADDITIONAL WEBSITES REFERENCE
BLOGS
ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPPING
OF 150 RESPONSES TO THIS QUESTION, 36 WERE PERSONAL INTEREST WEBSITES. 1 PERSON VISITS THE ANIMAL SHELTER WEBSITE EVERYDAY AND 1 PERSON VISITS THE YMCA WEBSITE EVERYDAY THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN SOCIAL CAUSES IN THEIR DAILY LIFE, BUT OUR RESULTS ONLY SHOWED TWO PEOPLE WHO DID THIS. WHAT MAKES COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT DIFFERENT FROM SOCIAL CAUSES? HOW DO YOU MAKE SOCIAL AWARENESS A DAILY RITUAL? CAN IT OVERLAP WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES, OR ARE THERE BETTER WAYS?
COMMUNITY SERVICE
27 23
PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE
PEOPLE ARE NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE
MAIN REASONS PEOPLE DO COMMUNITY SERVICE FEEL GOOD
CERTAIN THINGS DON’T GET DONE WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS
GIVE BACK
MEET PEOPLE
INSPIRED IT IS CLEAR THAT PERSONAL INCENTIVES MOTIVATE THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY DO COMMUNITY SERVICE
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO COMMUNITY SERVICE
RESPONSIBILITY
HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY/ KARMA
BROADENS OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD AROUND US
GIVING BACK
CHANGED YOUR MIND TYPE OF SITUATION IN WHICH PEOPLE CHANGED THEIR MIND
REASON PEOPLE CHANGED THEIR MIND
SOCIAL LIFE ISSUES
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
CAREER ISSUES
CULTURAL ISSUES
PERSONAL ISSUES
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I never have believed I know the RIGHT Way about anything. I listen and talk and have found myself bouncing back and forth about issues.
FRIEND/FAMILY INFLUENCE
PERSONAL DESIRE
A SECOND LOOK
FUTURE BENEFIT
L E T ’S S TART a conversation about…
EARTH DAY
WE STARTED AT LEAST 147 CONVERSATIONS ON EARTH DAY
OBSERVATIONS The group least likely to wear the tag seemed to be college students. The exercise spread positive energy and excitement among participants. If one person in a group took a tag and tied it on, it was likely that most people in the group took a tag. Photography is a good way to reach people. United Way commented that they were inspired to use a similar set up next year. One participant spoke to us about access to conversation and free speech. The quality of our conversations were really good and it was not as much about the quantity. One new Savannah resident asked if our project was spurred by a sense of disconnect particular to Savannah. The only religious group represented at Earth Day was the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
INSIGHTS Sometimes tasks that require rapid response may not be most effective. When people act as units, how do you get both to take equal responsibility for a type of action or behavior change? Wearing a tag that you’ve written on is more significant than wearing just a sticker tag. Don’t tell people what to think, lead them to an idea. Sometimes changing behavior isn’t a matter of changing someone’s values, but influencing their perspective, priorities or actions. Most people would say community is a good thing, but how many act upon this value? Good communication can turn these attitudes into actions. It was much more effective to say “we are asking people to make a statement about what they want to talk about today” than ask “do you want to?”- yes or no questions do not seem to lead people to act. It would be valuable to recreate the project at other community events.