Integrity, Efficacy and Community in the Stories of Political Activists

Narrative interviews were conducted with eight New Zealand long-term political activists to understand how they experienced their activism in relation to the psychological well-being concerns of integrity, efficacy and community. The interviews were analyzed using theory-based thematic analysis, and negative themes were subtracted from positive themes to give a measure of ambivalence. The results indicated that integrity (a sense of being true to oneself and living according to core values) appeared to provide the foundation for the activists' ongoing motivation, with efficacy (a feeling that one has, and can continue to meet new challenges) also playing a key role. Relationships with others (community), especially fellow-activists, were more problematic. The study's implications both for understanding activism and for learning more about the role of subjective experience in people's lives are discussed.