Guns and roses: Collective identity processes of women activists in India

Abstract

This article explores the processes of construction of collective identity of women activists in the state of Andhra Pradesh in south India. Utilizing methods such as the Twenty Statements Test and a semi-structured interview format with 10 activists, the study focused on their self-description as activist, formative influences on their decision to engage in activism, and their recall and narration of a significant collective action incident. Broadly, two dimensions of collective identity – sharing of a collective action frame and connection with a broader community rather than with narrow familial or personal identities – were found to characterize the way the participants construct their selves. The self-perceptions framed by political ideology and collective action experiences contained psychological overtones of subjective well-being that serve to explain in part the sustainability of their involvement with the organization.