The wind below : young people in social movement organisations

Abstract

The phenomena of social movements and Social Movement Organisations, despite carrying serious implications for social change, seem to have failed to capture the imagination of local researchers. Research in the area is at best sporadic, and at worst non-existent. This study attempts to begin to fill this lacuna. Through in-depth interviews (N=8) with young people involved in Social Movement Organisations this study explored the experiences of young activists and the way they understand them. The findings of this research can be grouped under three main over-arching themes relating to the process of initiation, the experience within Social Movement Organisations and the dynamics of change in said experience. The data suggests that various factors such as attitudinal affinity or cognitive liberation and biographical availability disposed the participants to join Social Movement Organisations. This disposition became involvement after a link with an organisation that met their aspirations was established. Networks, in the form of family, friends and acquaintances proved to be important in providing this link. The participants reported that subsequently the involvement in Social Movement Organisations impacted their lives greatly, affecting their lives, identity, and friendship patterns. Their experience was also the source of various feelings. Prominent amongst them were those of satisfaction and disappointment. The participants also recounted how their experience in Social Movement Organisations proved to be highly educational, giving them a superb opportunity for non-formal and informal education. The data also suggests that change is an integral part of the activist experience, being present on a variety of levels and in different respects. Changes are experienced on both an organisational and an individual level. Changes in the former were most salient in relation to organisational ideas, whereas changes experienced on an individual level included ideational changes, change of organisations, changes in the personal life situation as well as in activism.