activism

The concept of activism is formed with the adjective active and the affix -ism. The origin of the term can be linked to German Aktivismus.

Active, in this framework, allows qualifying whoever acts or operates constantly, or that it has the capacity for that. In this way it tends to work quickly and efficiently. The suffix -ism, meanwhile, it enables the formation of nouns that can mean "movement", "doctrine", "system" or "trend", for example.

Activism drives social change.

What is activism

The first meaning of activism mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) refers to the trend exhibited by those who proceed in a very dynamic way. The most common use of the notion, however, is not that, although it derives from that meaning.

Activism is called social or proselytizing activity carried out by an individual or a group of people. Activism takes shape in public life and aims to achieve some change in the society.

There are several ideas that can be linked to activism, such as militancy or manifestation. The activist defends and promotes a cause and expresses it with the aim of adding support and encouraging the authorities or decision-makers to act in line with their ideals or motivations.

The role of the activist

An activist is considered who is part of a social movement, a political party, a non-governmental organization or a union, committing to their projects and actions and spreading their ideas.

Activists can develop a formal or organic performance, following the guidelines of an entity, or work in a more informal or spontaneous way. Both facets can even complement each other depending on the moment and the context.

Activists carry out public work to achieve their goals.

Political activism

The Political activism it is associated with militancy. The activist or militant, therefore, follows the guidelines of their match and intends to add members and / or voters.

Carry out propaganda for party proclamations and carry out proselytizing campaigns in the times prior to the elections are two of the most common activities of the political activist. Many times the activist ends up becoming a candidate or a government official.

Work in civil associations

It is understood by social or civic activism to one that is developed through non-governmental organizations or civil associations. This activism can have different aims or objectives, with activists intervening in different areas or aiming to achieve changes in various aspects of their life. community.

Unlike political activism, this work is not part of a party structure. Nor does it take place from within a government. In any case, there may be common ground between what a deputy from an environmental party wants to achieve and what activists from an environmental party aspire to achieve. NGO environmentalist, to mention one possibility.

Virtual activism

In recent decades a type of activism has emerged that appeals to the technology as the main resource: the virtual activism or cyberactivism.

In this case, the potential of Internet for the dissemination of ideas and to make concrete changes, leaving protests or demonstrations in public space in the background.