The Costs and Risks of Social Activism: A Study of Sanctuary Movement Activism

Abstract

This study challenges the frequent characterization of social movements as homogeneous webs of activity. Such a view distorts the activist experience and blinds scholars to the daily realities of activism. We use the concepts of “cost” and “risk” to distinguish activist experiences within a single social movement. Data obtained from 141 participants in the sanctuary movement show: (1) individuals engage in a variety of movement activities; (2) cost and risk are empirically distinguishable, along with their personal correlates; and (3) of the variables drawn from two dominant explanations of movement participation, biographical availability factors best predict high-cost activism (more hours devoted to the movement), while socialization factors best differentiate high- risk (direct contact with Central American refugees) from low-risk activists (no refugee contact).