The 2006 immigrant rights marches had mixed effects on Latino attitudes. Using the Latino National Survey dataset and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), this research explores how spatial and temporal proximity to protests influenced feelings of efficacy.
Key Findings:
- Local, small-scale protests increased participants' self-efficacy.
- Large-scale marches had a detrimental effect on self-efficacy perceptions.
Contrasting Effects: Proximity matters more than sheer protest size. Local engagement with smaller demonstrations enhanced efficacy, whereas large protests diluted its positive impact and sometimes reduced it.
This nuanced result highlights the complex relationship between social movements and public psychology. It underscores that localized events can positively shape political attitudes, while broad-scale mobilization does not always translate to improved citizen confidence.
