"Social Change Model": In which I describe the connections to Social Change in Phone Banking

Barack Obama joins campaign volunteers to make a few calls in support of his re-election in 2012. Phone-banking is an excellent example of the "Social Change Model" put to good use.

Phone banking is a time-honored tradition in the Democratic Party. While used, albeit to a lesser extent, in Republican nominating and Presidential contests, it played a much larger role for the community-based organizing of the Barack Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012.

(While this forms more of an example of the "Social Change Model" in action than a representation or approximation, I must be clear: the same could be said of similar activities on the other side of the aisle. It was just easier to find a picture of people phone-banking for a Democratic candidate.)

Participants are working to effect their idea of positive change through phone banking to ensure that citizens vote. This encourages citizenship as much as taking an active role in the political process through volunteerism. The group works with a common purpose and in the spirit of collaboration. Notably, in the phone banks in which I've participated, controversy has been addressed with the utmost civility and sincerity. That is, opponents are addressed positively, rather than through negative attacks. When a non-supporter answers the phone, phone-bankers are urged to simply thank the person on the other end for their time and politely end the conversation. Finally, each phone-banker makes a conscious choice to take time out of their busy schedule to make calls. Commitment is key.




In my work phone-banking, I had an excellent experience. I learned a lot about the inside of a campaign operation, and I feel I made a positive impact on our country. It truly was inspiring to see so many different types of people coming together for a common purpose and goal, and I can't wait for a new and similar opportunity to arise.