ABSTRACT
A growing number of researchers have explored the positive impact of activism on the well-being of the individuals involved (e.g., Gilster, 2012; Klar & Kasser, 2009). Some have also asked whether there may be specific benefits to being an activist as an adolescent, given this key developmental phase of life (Sherrod, 2006; Watts & Flanagan, 2007), or for socially excluded groups, due to the important role that empowerment plays in recovering citizenship (Rowe & Pelletier, 2012; see Pelletier, Bellamy, O’Connell, & Rowe, Chapter 29 in this volume, for further discussion of the concept of citizenship). With positive psychology’s emphasis on investigating the factors that enable individuals to thrive – though perhaps the movement still avoids the thorny issue of social protest (see Di Martino, Eiroa-Orosa, & Arcidiacono, Chapter 7 in this volume) – we think that exploring the links between activism and well-being is a relevant topic for the field.
