#12287. The Copenhagen Experiment: testing the effectiveness of creative vs. conventional forms of activism

August 2026publication date
Proposal available till 17-05-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

The title of the journal is available only for the authors who have already paid for
Journal’s subject area:
Cultural Studies;
Sociology and Political Science;
Places in the authors’ list:
place 1place 2place 3place 4
FreeFreeFreeFree
2350 $1200 $1050 $900 $
Contract №12287.1 Contract №12287.2 Contract №12287.3 Contract №12287.4
1 place - free (for sale)
2 place - free (for sale)
3 place - free (for sale)
4 place - free (for sale)

Abstract:
In recent decades the importance of emotion for social mobilization has been recognized. There has been a recent upsurge of descriptive and theoretical work done on creative forms of activism that mobilize affect. There is no evidence-based empirical study of the variable impact of creative vs. conventional forms of activism on a public audience. We designed a public experiment on the comparative effect and affect of creative vs. more conventional forms of activism. It allowed us to analyze differences and similarities on several levels: attention, thought, feeling, memory, and action. We found that a creative approach was more effective at delivering upon traditional advocacy objectives like awareness, engagement, and receptiveness than conventional means. In addition, the affective responses of most people we interviewed were more positive towards the creative interventions than for more conventional ones. Follow-up surveys also revealed that creative activism proved to be more memorable and resulted in more ensuing action on the issues. A ‘double edge’ to creative activism, however, was also observed. The novelty, humor, and surprise of creative forms of activism that generated interest and mobilized affect, could also result in ‘non-productive confusion,’ scepticism regarding the issue, and undermining the seriousness of the activists and their cause. The data gathered strongly suggest that creative activism is more effective, in part because it is more affective, than conventional forms of activism.
Keywords:
Activism; creative activism; experiment design; impact assessment; social movements

Contacts :
0