Collective Action Good For Health

Active unionists who participate in protests to protect workers’ rights and fight for what they believe in can expect to enjoy many positive health benefits, according to a new British study.

The study, conducted by psychologists at the University of Sussex, finds that as well as potentially changing the world, participating in protests and demonstrations improves psychological well-being.

The study links positive feelings associated with collective action to physiological recovery, the ability to cope with physical stressors, and the reduction of pain, anxiety and depression.

Coordinator of the study and lecturer in social psychology Dr John Drury says many published activist accounts referred to feelings of encouragement and confidence emerging from experiences of collective action but says the study aims to explain what factors within a collective action event contributed most to such feelings.

"The main factors contributing to a sense of empowerment were the realisation of the collective identity, the sense of movement potential, unity and mutual support within a crowd," says Dr Drury.

"However, what was also interesting was the centrality of emotion in the accounts. Empowering events were almost without exception described as joyous occasions. Participants experienced a deep sense of happiness and even euphoria in being involved in protest events. Simply recounting the events in the interview itself brought a smile to the faces of the interviewees."

"The take-home message from this research therefore might be that people should get more involved in campaigns, struggles and social movements, not only in the wider interest of social change, but also for their own personal good," Dr Drury says.

Australian activists wanting to reap maximum benefit from participating in collective actions may be pleased to know NSW Labor Council is currently establishing an activist register, helping unionists stay informed about upcoming events.

The register is due for launch by the end of February 2003 and will be stationed at http://labor.net.au/activist/

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Last modified: Tuesday, 15-Nov-2005 20:37:37 EST