From victims to citizens: Emerging activist identities in the anti-fracking movement in Bulgaria

The anti-fracking movement in Bulgaria, 2011-2013, was a successful grassroots effort to influence national environmental policy. The study draws on social movements and community psychology scholarship to investigate the emergence, development, and implications of activist identities as an important force for the movement's success.

Within a qualitative design, data were collected from interviews with activists, observations of organizing events, movement documents, and media publications. Structured and open coding followed by qualitative analyses produced descriptions and explanations of the construction and use of identities in the movement.

Four major identities emerged in social and discursive interactions among activists and between activists and contextual forces: Victims, Bulgarians, Nature-protectors, and Citizens. The four identities were used interchangeably and afforded differential empowerment and opportunities for participation in policy-making.

The emerging activist identities were processes and products of the complex relationships between agency and context. The study contributes in illuminating the links between policy context, empowerment, participation, and political action.