on activism
I've been thinking a lot lately about activism, about what makes an act active, what gives it that ism.
The Cambridge online dictionary defines activism as “the use of direct and noticeable action to achieve a result, usually a political or social one” and Wikipedia says that “Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good.”
So it seems that activism is charged with the intention to change something – out there in society. I'll return to this thought...
I've been organising different groups around the idea of activism. The first is a study group for my course, looking at mad activism both inside and outwith the mainstream mental health system. The group is inspired by the book Inside Out, Outside In by Harry Gijbels, Lydia Sapouna and Gary Sidley:
Human distress has historically been understood and responded to almost exclusively either as a biological disorder or a psychological deficit. This has led to the development of powerful structures, 'mental health systems', that have dominated thinking and practice around mental health and been controlled by the psychiatric profession. Despite widespread recognition that such systems are often ineffective and can even be harmful, the bio-medical ethos, with its focus on 'mental illness' and primary use of drug treatments, continues to prevail in mental health practices. This book showcases current projects that offer user-centred, context-informed, non-medical ways of helping people experiencing distress and overwhelm. The first section of the book includes projects located inside mainstream services that seek to influence change from within, including the education of future generations of practitioners. The second section describes projects that have established themselves as independent entities, outside mainstream structures and services, giving them the freedom to be truly radical in their approaches and influence by example. In a final section, the book looks at work aiming to challenge the wider societal influences that maintain the status quo and perpetuate factors that lead to mental distress and overwhelm.
Some of the students on the Mad Studies course have professional experience within the mainstream mental health system; others have personal experience as service-users. Some even have both. The study group aims to explore these different positions, with a view to finding effective avenues to invoke awareness and change in the system.
The other group I've organised (with help) is a Mad Studies group on the Meetup platform. Based in Edinburgh, this meetup group is available as a space for people to come together and talk about their own experiences in relation to madness, whether they be mad themselves, connected to someone mad or simply curious about the ideas being presented. We hope to open up dialogue around these issues and spread awareness.
So are these two groups a form of activism? I think they are, as they promote change but here's where I want to return to the above postponed train of thought. Is activism always about change in society? Or can it also be internal?
I believe that not only can it be internal, it must be internal, in order to be truly effective. There's no way to change anything beyond oneself, without changing oneself in the first instance. And the first step in changing oneself is to open up oneself to the possibility of change. This isn't as easy as it sounds. Opening up to possibility can be profoundly uncomfortable, as it is a space of unknowing and uncertainty. Not only that, but change can be painful – it involves letting go of something, letting fall away some attachment, and this can feel as sharp as an amputation, or as persistent as an open wound.
We can't expect the world to change unless we bring ourselves differently into the world. No act of protest or critique of our broken world will stick, if it is aimed and thrown from a heart unwilling to break open itself. Activism in the world begins with activism within oneself, and this is a lifelong project demanding lifelong commitment. But it is so worthwhile.
(Photo by Flavio Gasperini on Unsplash)