Aktivism och medborgarskap : hur skapas progressiv förändring? En intervjustudie om miljö- och rättviseaktivismens roll i samhället och dess koppling till medborgarskap

Sammanfattning: This bachelor thesis focuses on individuals’ power and possibility to create a change in society through activism. This thesis is based on focus group interviews with global environmental and justice activists. The conversations addressed topics such as activ-ism, citizenship and global justice. To define the thesis the concept of activism will be narrowed down to global environmental and justice activism. The main purpose of this thesis is to examine and discuss the role of activism in society and to create a progres-sive use of the concept. The method used to create a progressive understanding of the concept of activism is based on Sally Haslanger’s approach on how to use concepts. To concretize and develop the thesis’ main purpose, the analysis will evolve around on the relation between activism and citizenship. The most important result of the focus group interviews and the main conclusions reached in this thesis are, first of all that activism is an variable and ambiguous concept that cannot be limited to one current interpretation. It also articulates a tension in society between liberation and order. Secondly, activism carries a progressive role in democratic processes in questioning the current norms and methods being used. Thirdly, if the relation between activism and the theories of green citizenship are highlighted, it can create a more progressive use of the concept of activ-ism. In this progressive understanding the private sphere must be seen as political which requires active citizens that understand that citizenship holds global duties.