Is the activist economy good for social change? | The Stream

These days, social justice activism seems to be everywhere, from celebrity social media posts to corporate advertising. But is all of this mainstream exposure a good thing, and who really benefits from it?

Fighting for social change - or the appearance of it - sells, as many businesses recognise the need to take political stances on issues like Black Lives Matter or LGBTQ rights. However, some forms of activism can be described as performative or "woke-washing" - gestures that require little commitment and do more to improve a personal or corporate brand than in making substantive social change.

While a social justice statement to millions of followers can be positive in making progressive ideas mainstream, critics say shallow celebrity- or corporate-driven social activism can trivialise the actual work of activists and community organisers.

In this episode of The Stream, we'll look at the commodification of social justice activism and ask: Who is it really helping?

Join the conversation:
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AJStream
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AJStream
Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe

#aljazeeraenglish
#ajstream
#activism