Activism
/ˈæktɪvɪzəm/
nounB2
Definition
Activism means actively working to make changes in society or politics. People who do activism try to influence laws, public opinions, or social habits by organizing events, protests, or campaigns. It shows active participation, not just talking or thinking about change.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
The practice of taking action to support or change social or political issues
- •She is involved in environmental activism to protect forests.
- •Activism can include protests, petitions, and raising awareness.
- •Many students joined activism to fight for better education.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'activism' like 'helping' (A1 word), but with a strong goal to change something important in society.
- ✓Picture people holding signs and speaking loudly in a group to ask for justice or better laws.
- ✓It's the feeling when you want to make the world better and you take real steps to do it.
- ✓Sounds like 'active-ism' → imagine someone being very active (moving and doing) to support a cause.
- ✓Think of famous activists like Martin Luther King Jr. who worked hard to change unfair laws.
- ✓NOT like 'talking' (just words), activism means doing things to create change.
- ✓NOT like 'protesting' only, activism can include many actions like writing, educating, or organizing.
- ✓NOT like 'passive' (doing nothing), activism is active and involved.
Try Other Words
- •Advocacy: supporting a cause publicly (Use when focusing on speaking or writing for a cause)
- •Protest: public demonstration against something (Use when the action is showing disagreement openly)
- •Campaigning: organized effort to achieve a goal (Use when the action is planned and long-term)
- •Movement: a group of people working for change (Use when referring to a larger group or idea)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "active" (doing something) + suffix "-ism" (a practice or belief)
- •Etymology: From Latin "activus" meaning "doing" + "-ism" from Greek meaning "practice or system"
- •Historical development: The word grew in use in the 20th century as people became more involved in social causes
- •Modern usage: Used to describe many kinds of efforts to change society, from environmental to human rights activism
Reflect & Connect
•What causes or issues do you think need more activism today, and why?
•How can small actions by individuals add up to big changes in activism?
Fill in the blanks
1.Activism often starts when people feel ___ that something in society is unfair or wrong.
2.Many forms of activism involve ___ like protests, petitions, or social media campaigns.
3.Unlike just talking, activism requires people to ___ and take steps to make change.
4.Environmental activism focuses on protecting ___ and natural resources.
5.Activism is different from protest because it can include ___ activities like education or writing.
6.People involved in activism usually feel a strong ___ to help others or fix problems.
7.When a group works together for activism, they might form a ___ to support their cause.