‘I’m not an activist, though I’ve done a lot of it’: Doing Activism, Being Activist and the ‘Perfect Standard’ in a Contemporary Movement

This paper, based on in-depth interviews with thirty-three individuals involved in the burgeoning Menstrual Activism movement, explores why the identity ‘activist’ is resisted among some social movement actors. Drawing on a ‘perfect standard’ of politics and activism grounded in the core values of rigor and humility, an activist must ‘live the issue’, demonstrate relentless dedication, and contribute a sustained effort to duly merit the label. This conception of activist effectively places the label ‘out of reach’ for many social movement actors. This analysis raises questions regarding the assumption that collective action necessarily depends on the alignment between personal identity and collective identity and calls for a more nuanced and complex conceptualization of collective identity in the context of social movement action.