Ten Days in Ferguson: Examining the Performance of Repressing an Uprising

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Watts, Meghan
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Sociology

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This thesis examines to what extent performance plays a role in the repression of social movements. The Ferguson Uprising of 2014-2015 offers a unique case study of protest policing—from its spontaneous eruption to the swift and aggressive backlash it received—and repression. The time frame under study includes the ten days after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. I demonstrate that feminist theories of performativity can be applied to repression research to develop a new way of analyzing the interactions between repressive actors (i.e., the state) and their targets (i.e., the people). Some view theories of organizations, power, or culture as single factors that explain repression, however repression in Ferguson defies these conventional understandings. I study repression in Ferguson through an analysis of mainstream media reports, published interviews, and social media accounts to conduct both quantitative and qualitative analyses of repressive tactics. Through those analyses, I challenge the current theories of repression, power, and performativity to show that the state adapted to protest conditions in Ferguson by testing various levels of repression. Ferguson changed the way the nation would view protest and police interactions. The Uprising’s effects still echo throughout the country.

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