For decades now, the field of anthropology has produced a vast amount of scholarship on social movements and protest, providing unique insights into the dynamics and processes of movements, and exploring the social and experiential sides of protest, activism and resistance. At this particular moment in time, with uprisings taking place across the globe, these contributions are not only necessary for the theorization of local and transnational politics, but also essential to a holistic understanding of the current state of society.

With this in mind, this edition of Field Notes will look specifically at the practice of activism. Contributors will be asked to reflect on what activism is, how it is experienced, and how it functions as a force for social and political change. This series of four posts looks at generating a discussion on activism as a practice, but also activism as a subject of study. By drawing from contributors’ experiences and diverse areas of expertise, this series will hopefully not only amount to a stimulating academic debate, but also contribute to a wider discussion on the role of activism in society.

(Editor's Note: Our Teaching Tools corner includes resources for Teaching Occupy and Indigenous Movements in Latin America, both prepared by Paula Serafini.)