“We, activists”, “They, the activists”: Exploring Activist Identity Among Youth Inside and Outside the Stereotype

Identity is considered a key factor in activist engagement. In this study, we examined the self-representations of a group of young activists through the lens of the ego-ecological approach, which emphasizes the interplay of representations, attitudes, and beliefs (including stereotypes) that circulate both within groups and in the broader sociocultural environment in identity formation. 46 young activists from a variety of fields (e.g., environmental, feminist, LGBTQ+, human rights, community-based groups) completed an abbreviated version of the Multistage Investigator of Social Identity (MISI). As expected from the ego-ecological perspective, a positive image emerged when activists were referred to as the ingroup, whereas the portrait was more nuanced when activists were referred to as the internal outgroup. The overall self-representation, with the ‘dynamic subject’ as the prototype, was much more complex and articulated than the most common activist stereotypes; some stereotypical traits populated the internal space of identity, but served different functions and introduced conflicting elements. The findings of this qualitative study support the heuristic value of the interactional perspective in activist identity research and help bridge the gap between personal identity processes and collective/social identity.