Tactic Paper #3

Maritza Guerrero

SOC 122 MW 10:00 am

28 March 2018

Tactic Paper #3: Push Poll

This was my first time doing a push poll, and I overall thick it went well. When it came to setting up for this tactic, it was pretty easy given that all it was a team effort activity which meant each person was expected to provide something for this activity. In this case, it was questions that each person needed to come up with. Another reason it was easy was that we had someone input our questions into a survey system, so we didn't have any pressure on that part. When it came down to coming up with questions, it was also relatively easy. I wanted to think of a question that I knew I had a solid and reputable answer to, so I did some research and found an article a local news station on the homelessness increase in Fresno. From this resource, I came up with the question if whether Fresno homeless increased or decreased in 2017. In answering the question, I could provide the pentages of how much it increased to who ever I was doing the push poll with.

In the two hour span of push polling, I talked to about five people. I wasn't expecting it to go by so fast and to interview only a small amount of people. I did three in person interviews, and two telephone interviews. I asked each person the questions that were on the survey and tried to provide the correct answer after a person would provide me their answer. I made sure to always ask why they chose a specific answer and tried my best to listen and add on to their explanations. One thing I would change from this tactic was being better prepared on having explanations to the answers of questions. I want to make sure I am knowledgeable of every question I ask people. For example, I felt I didn't completely know how to answer some of the questions from the survey since some did not have reputable sources or explanations to the answers. I don't really think this tactic did a lot on building solidarity among members since it was more of an individual activity. I believe it altered people's opinion on homelessness, but some, I need to provide more information on the cause to completely alter some of their opinions of homelessness. Overall, I believe at least one of more of the people I interviewed left the interview being more aware on homelessness, and that is a great step in the right direction.