Survey #____________                                                                       Date__________________

 

University of California-Riverside   

Research Working Group on Transnational Social Movements

We are conducting this survey of participants in the 2007 World Social Forum in order to learn more about the characteristics of people that participate in the Forum, their beliefs, and their involvement in social movements. We want to facilitate cooperation and concerted action by helping activists to understand the interconnections between different progressive movements. We would appreciate if you could take time to complete and return this survey questions to the person who gave it to you. Thank you.

 

 

I. Political Participation:

 

(1) Which of the prior World Social Forums have you attended? Check all that apply.  

o2001           o2002           o2003           o2004           o2005

o2006 (Polycentric)               oNone

 

(2) Have you attended any of the following social forums? Check all that apply.

oThematic     oRegional      oNational oLocal

 

(3) What are your reasons for attending the World Social Forum? Check all that apply.            

o Organize, plan actions, or carry out joint initiatives

o Network, meet people, or join a group

o Recruit new members        

o Learn about the issues and share information          

o Learn about other cultures or enjoy the cultural performances

oWork  oResearch oHelp with interpreting oDocument it or cover the story

oGet inspiration oFun or leisure o Other

 

(4) How did you fund your trip to the World Social Forum? Check all that apply.

oTravel funds from work                   oFunds from political organization

oPersonal funds                                 oSponsorship from a business firm    

oFamily and Friends              oTravel funds from an educational institution

oFoundation fellowship or grant         o Other

 

 

(5a) What are your organizational or group affiliations? For each of the organizations you are affiliated with, check the box that best applies:

oNone (I do not belong to any social organization or formal group).

àIf you answered “none” for question 5a, please skip to question 7.

(5a) What are your organizational or group affiliations? For each of the organizations you are affiliated with, check the box that best applies:

oLabor union(s)         oNon-governmental organization(s)     oSocial movement or political organization(s)           oPolitical party(ies)                            oGovernment agency(ies)             o Religious institution(s)/movement(s) oProfessional association(s)                  

oSocial or recreational group(s)         oCultural group(s)     oMedia organization(s)         

oOther (specify)_______________________________________________________________

(5b) Is at least one of the organizations that you checked for question 5a…

…engaged in political issues and funded solely by its members? oNo oYes

…international or engaged in an international campaign? oNo oYes

one that you hold a leadership position or paid position within? oNo oYes

 

(6a) Please indicate whether you are either attending the WSF on behalf of OR planning to report on your experiences at the WSF to any of the following types of organizations. Check all that apply.

oNone (I am not attending on behalf of or reporting back to any organization about my trip).

àIf you answered “none” for question 6a, please skip to question 7.

                                               

oLabor union(s)         oNon-governmental organization(s)     oSocial movement(s) or political organization(s)                   oPolitical party(ies)                            oGovernment agency(ies)             o Religious institution(s)/movement(s) oProfessional association(s)  oNone                          

oSocial or recreational group(s)         oCultural group(s)     oMedia organization(s)         

oOther (specify)_______________________________________________________________             

 

(6b) Is at least one of the organizations that you checked for question 6a…

engaged in political issues and funded solely by its members? oNo oYes

 

…international or engaged in an international campaign? oNo oYes

 

one that you hold a leadership position or paid position within? oNo oYes

 

(7) In the last 12 months, how many public protests or demonstrations did you participate in? (total) _____

 

(8) In what year did you first participate in a public demonstration or protest?

19______

20______ 

oI have never participated in any public demonstration or protest.

 

 

II. Demographics:

 

(9) What is your gender? Check one.

o Female       o Male          o Other:_____________________________________________

 

(10) What is your sexual orientation? Check all that apply.

o Heterosexual          o Homosexual           oBisexual                  oQueer        

o Other__________________________________________         o Decline to answer

 

(11) What is your current marital status? Check all that apply.

o Single         o Separated    oDivorced   oWidower     oMarried      

           

 

(12) Do you currently have custody of one or more children aged 18 years or younger?

Check one. o No      o Yes

àIf you do not have children, please skip to question 14.

(13) If you do have children in your custody, are they attending this WSF? Check one.

o No o Yes

 

(14) What year were you born?  19________

 

(15) What is your nationality or nationalities? _______________________________________________

 

(16) In your country of residence, are you considered to be part of a discriminated racial or ethnic group? Check one. oNo oYes

 

(17) What is your ethnicity or race? Check one.

o Black                     o Middle Eastern       o South Asian           

o Indigenous o Latino/Hispanic      o East Asian             

o White                     o Pacific Islander

o Multiracial: Please specify _______________________________________________

o Other: Please specify___________________________________________________

o Decline to answer

 

(18) Which country were you born in? ___________________________

 

(19) Where do you currently live?

City _____________________           Country _________________________

 

 

 

(20) How often do you access the Internet? Check one.

oDaily    oEvery few days    oWeekly oLess than once per week

 

(21) How religious do you consider yourself?

o Not Religious         o Somewhat Religious           o Very Religious

 

(22) Which of the following best describes your religious beliefs? Check one.

oCatholic                  o Buddhist     o Jewish        o Atheist

o Other Christian       o Hindu         o Islamic       oAgnostic

o Traditional African Religion

o Other______________________________________________________________________

 

(23) How many languages do you speak fluently? Check one.

o 1                o 2               o 3 or more

 

(24) What is your current employment status? Check all that apply:

oEmployed full-time (at least 35 hours per week) oEmployed part-time

o Employed on a temporary basis o Self-employed o Unemployed

o Retired       o Student    o Dependent on family income          

o Live from investments or savings o Volunteer

 

(25) People sometimes describe themselves as belonging to the working class, the middle class, or the upper or lower class. In your current situation, how would you describe yourself? Check one.

o Upper class            o Upper middle class o Lower middle class

o Working class        o Lower class

 

(26) Compared to other people in your country of residence, how would you place your household income, including all wages, salaries, pensions and other incomes? Check one.

o Top ¼                    o Second ¼ from top            o Second ¼ from bottom       oBottom ¼

(27) Please indicate how many total years of school have you completed.  This number should include years of primary, secondary, technical, university, and advanced university education. ____________________________

(28) Do you have the most advanced university degree awarded in your country? Check one.

oNo  oYes

 

(29) If you have an advanced educational degree, in what subject(s)? Check all that apply.

oAgriculture              oEducation               oNatural Sciences     oSocial Sciences         oArts                       oEngineering  oMathematic             oComputer             oHealth                        oLaw/Legal Studies            oBusiness/Administrative oLanguages/Linguistics/Literature oOther

III. Political Opinions

(30) Please rate your opinion on the following statement: “It has been desirable for progressive social movements to get support from governments in the Global South to challenge the power in the Global North.” Check one.

o Strongly agree        o Agree        o Neutral      o Disagree    o Strongly Disagree

 

(31) Which of the following best describes your political views?

oFar Left                   oLeft             oCenter Left

oCenter                     oCenter Right            oRight

oFar right                 oIndifferent                oNot sure

 

(32) Do you consider yourself to be part of a global social movement? oNo oYes

 

(33) If you do consider yourself to be part of a global social movement, what are the main goals of this movement? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

(34) Do you think we need to reform capitalism or abolish it? Check one.

o Reform it               o Abolish it               o Neither

 

(35) Out of the following, which level is most important for solving the majority of contemporary problems? Check one.

oCommunity  oSub-national/Provinces        oNational                 

oInternational            oGlobal

 

(36) Do you think it is a good or bad idea to have a democratic world government? Check one.

oGood idea, and it’s possible oGood idea, but not possible oBad idea

 

 

 

 

 

(37) In the long run, what do you think should be done about these existing global institutions (Check one for each institution):

The IMF (International Monetary Fund):           The WTO (World Trade Organization):

o Reform      o Abolish                              o Reform      o Abolish

o Replace     o Do Nothing                        o Replace     o Do Nothing

The World Bank:                                              The UN (United Nations):

o Reform      o Abolish                              o Reform      o Abolish

o Replace              o Do Nothing                        o Replace     o Do Nothing

 

(38) Please rate your opinion on the following statement: "The World Social Forum should remain as an open space for debate and should not itself take public positions on political issues." Check one.

o Strongly agree        o Agree        o Neutral      o Disagree    o Strongly Disagree

 

(39) Please rate your opinion on the following statement: “A single global organization should be created to coordinate the actions of progressive international social movements.” Check one.

o Strongly agree        o Agree        o Neutral      o Disagree    o Strongly Disagree

 

(40) Please rate your opinion on the following statement: “Most forms of social inequality and hierarchy are likely to disappear after capitalism is abolished.” Check one.

o Strongly agree        o Agree        o Neutral      o Disagree    o Strongly Disagree

 

(41) Please rate your opinion on the following statement: “In most political situations, representative democracy, in which leaders are elected or appointed to represent a social group, is bankrupt. We need to replace political hierarchies with participatory (or direct) forms of democracy.” Check one.

o Strongly agree        o Agree        o Neutral      o Disagree    o Strongly Disagree

 

(42) Please rate your opinion on the following statement: “Intellectuals dominate the discussions at the World Social Forum too much.” Check one.

o Strongly agree        o Agree        o Neutral      o Disagree    o Strongly Disagree

 

(43) What should be done about the debt of less-affluent nations? Check one.

o It should be eliminated                    oIt should be collected

oIt should be significantly reduced      oIndifferent

 

(44) Should social movements remain non-violent towards people under all conditions?        Check one.                                                                                                                                                  oNo                       oYes             oIndifferent

 

 

(45) Do you favor a tax on international financial transactions that would be used to redistribute income from rich nations to poor nations (e.g., the Tobin tax proposal)? Check one.

oNo              oYes            oIndifferent

 

(46) Do you favor reparations for groups of people adversely affected by slavery, colonialism, and racism in order to ensure that they will have better opportunities? Check one.

 oNo             oYes            oIndifferent

 

(47) Do you think that political parties and governments should use quotas to ensure that women are better represented within political institutions? Check one.

oNo              oYes            oIndifferent

 

(48) Should health and service organizations that provide information about abortion receive international funding? Check one.

oNo              oYes            oIndifferent

(49) Do you support a woman’s right to abortion? Check one.

oYes, under all circumstances

oSometimes (it depends on the circumstances)

oNo/never

oIndifferent

 

IV. Movement Identification:

(50a) Do you strongly identify with, or are you actively involved in, any social movements?

oNo              oYes

àIf your answer to 50a was “no,” please skip to the last page.   

(50b) Check all of the following movements with which you (a) strongly identify with and/or are actively involved in:

(a) strongly identify:                                        (b) are actively involved in:

1. oAlternative media/culture                                      oAlternative media/culture

2. oAnarchist                                                                  oAnarchist

3. oAnti-corporate                                                        oAnti-corporate

4. oAnti-globalization                                                   oAnti-globalization                                                               

5. oAntiracism                                       oAntiracism   

6. oAlternative Globalization/Global Justice             oAlternative Globalization/Global Justice

7. oAutonomous                                                            oAutonomous

(a) strongly identify:                                        (b) are actively involved in:

8. oCommunist                                                               oCommunist

9. oDevelopment aid/Economic development      oDevelopment aid/Economic development

10.oEnvironmental                                                        oEnvironmental

11.oFair Trade/Trade Justice                                       oFair Trade/Trade Justice

12.oFood Rights/Slow Food                                        oFood Rights/Slow Food

13.oGay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Rights     oGay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer Rights

14.oHealth/HIV                                                              oHealth/HIV

15.oHousing rights/anti-eviction/squatters              oHousing rights/anti-eviction/squatters

16.oHuman Rights                                                         oHuman Rights

17.oIndigenous                                                              oIndigenous

18.oJobless workers/welfare rights                            oJobless workers/welfare rights

19.oLabor                                                                        oLabor

20.oMigrant/immigrant rights                                      oMigrant/immigrant rights

21.oNational Sovereignty/National Liberation         oNational Sovereignty/National Liberation

22.oOpen-Source/Intellectual Property Rights         oOpen-Source/Intellectual Property Rights

23.oPeace/Anti-war                                                       oPeace/Anti-war

24.oPeasant/Farmers/Landless/Land-reform            oPeasant/Farmers/Landless/Land-reform

25.oReligious/Spiritual                                                 oReligious/Spiritual

26.oSocialist                                                                   oSocialist

27.oWomen's/Feminist                                                 oWomen's/Feminist

28.oOther(s), Please list ___________________   oOther(s), Please list _______________________

 

V. Comments

51. If you have any thoughts about the survey, the issues addressed within it, or comments about the WSF in general, please write in below:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

We appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey. Please return it to the person who gave it to you when you are finished. Or to send the completed survey:

Institute for Research on World-Systems

College Building South

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA. 92521 USA

 

Spanish version is at http://irows.ucr.edu/research/tsmstudy/spanver2.htm

Portuguese version is at http://irows.ucr.edu/research/tsmstudy/portver2.htm

French version is at http://irows.ucr.edu/research/tsmstudy/franver2.htm

Swahili version is at http://irows.ucr.edu/research/tsmstudy/swahver2.htm