Asymmetric bargaining power: Case studies of a university protest and prison hunger strike

Protests involving students and university administrations are a phenomenon of campus life in American higher education. These protests mirror social, political and economic issues and may have roots in student dissatisfaction with how universities are governed. This research presents a detailed comparative study of two protests involving parties who possessed asymmetrical power capabilities. The underlying research question is: How do parties gain and lose bargaining power so as to influence the conduct and outcome of negotiations in instances of protest? The first situation involved the student protests at Gallaudet University in 1988 and the second involved the hunger strikes in Northern Ireland during 1980 and 1981. Deaf students took over a campus to protest the appointment of a hearing president forcing her resignation and achieved several other significant goals. In Northern Ireland IRA prisoners undertook two hunger strikes demanding the right to be classified as 'special category' prisoners and succeeded.;Both protests are compared and changes in the bargaining power of the parties identified. The research questions for the study seek to identify the factors in both protests that contributed to changes in negotiating power among parties and to determine which of these factors were influential in promoting or preventing settlement of the protests. Based on these two experiences practical suggestions are made to educational leaders and policy makers regarding effective ways to deal with protest in education. The dissertation aims to assist administrative and faculty power-holders in dealing with student protests as well as the protesters themselves. It also seeks to influence relationships between administration, faculty and students. Conclusions of the study point among other issues to the importance of open communication, adhering to principles that are linked to symbolic events, gathering broad support and reconfiguring interests during a protest. Additionally, avoiding entrapped behavior and the importance of ethical decision-making are important issues for authorities and those who challenge them to consider carefully.