There is a life before activism: embodied emotions during the childhood and youth of activists related to gender, racism, and climate change matters in Portugal
Palabras clave:
before activism, childhood and youth, early life trajectories, embodied emotions, new social movementsResumen
What is the influence of early life trajectories, filled with experiences, encounters and emotions, on young to-be activists? Based on qualitative research done for the project “ArtCitizenship – youth and the arts of citizenship: creative practices, participatory culture and activism” (2019-2022), this article looks into individual trajectories, during childhood and youth, of 30 activists in Portugal. The collected data presents a set of “before activism” categories that reveal the importance of including early-life experiences to better understand future involvement with activism and social movements. One is not born an activist, actions for a given cause are a response to cumulative interactions and emotions felt from very early years. It shows how bodily-inscribed are the personal experiences and how, more than an interest in activism, there can be a physical and emotional urge for it.
