Self-Worth of Social-Political Activists: Theoretical Framework and Systematic Review

. Activists are dedicated individuals who endeavor to create a substantial and significant influence on pivotal social issues. Their endeavors are propelled by a multitude of diverse factors, including aspects such as social identity, perceptions of fairness, efficacy, and other relevant considerations. These factors lead them to engage in a process of internalization within the collective group they are part of, shaping their sense of self-worth. However, the motivation to achieve self-worth is not always the predominant focus in existing study. Therefore, this study aimed to explained the context of activists’ self-worth through the framework of the Quest for Significance (QFS) theory, employing a systematic literature review method. The systematic literature review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) protocol, utilizing keywords such as “political activism,” “personal significance,” “fulfilling life activism,” “meaningful activist,” and “activist experience.” The platforms searched include Google Scholar, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis, and Sage Journal. During the screening stage, journals that met the criteria related to social-political activism and the activation processes of the QFS (significance gain and significance loss) were carefully selected. The study identified key theme concerning the self-worth of activists, such as the role of activism as a coping mechanism, the positive outcomes of activism, the impact of relationships on activist, and challenges inherent in activism.

Yuthika Jusfayana, Joevarian Hudiyana PSIKOLOGIKA Volume 28 Nomor 2 Juli 2023 In the process of democracy, protests serve as a lawful means for expressing aspirations and demanding redress for greviance overlooked by decision-makers.
Protests and demonstrations are fundamental components of social movements, playing crucial role in galvanizing societal action.Social movements are a mechanism through which societies rally to mobilize the masses in the pursuit of essential rights, respect, and justice (Hanna et al., 2016).Political social movements can influence decision-makers to amend regulations towards greater justice.A prime example is the anti-apartheid movement led by Nelson Mandela, which effectively transformed South Africa's racially segregated system, ushering in an era of multi-racial democracy (Britannica, 2023).Similarly, Indonesia's history bears withness to the impact of student activist demonstrations in 1998, a movement that played a vital role in toppling the enhanced New Order government and paving way for a new era of reform (Welianto, 2020).
Early study into collective actions was based on the perspective that activists participating in protests were driven by irrational impulses, stemming from feelings of frustration, oppression, and injustice due to their perceived lack (Millward & Takhar, 2019;van Stekelenburg & Klandermans, 2017).As time progressed, a more nuanced understanding of activist participation in collective actions began to emerge.This encompasses additional factors beyond emotional triggers.Among these factors are instrumental considerations, which involve the cost-benefit analysis, aligned with the expectancy-value theory, guiding engagement in such actions (van Stekelenburg & Klandermans, 2013).The perspective emphasizes that activists are rational actors capable of orchestrating movements, harnessing resources, and calculating the probability of success (Jenkins, 1983).In addition to this costbenefit approach, individuals engaging in these movements are intrinsically driven by commitment to their collective identity.This motivation stems from identity-related aspects as well as the expression of one's life perspective intertwined with cultural influences, meanings, narratives, emotions, and moral considerations, commonly referred to as ideological motives (Roggeband & Klandermans, 2017).However, beyond the factors mentioned in the existing body of literature, another significant motivational force that comes into focus was self-worth.

The development of literature in
activism has yet to fully recognized self-worth as a primary motivation.However, certain studiesindicated that self-worth can be a significant factor influencing activism.Activists experience a sense of self-worth through feelings of empowerment, the ability to effect change, and personal pride stemming from involvement in a meaningful struggle (Drury & Reicher, 2009;Jasko et al., 2019).They perceive their activism as a source of self-worth, facilitated by participation in social and Self-Worth of Social-Political Activists: Theoretical Framework and Systematic Review PSIKOLOGIKA Volume 28 Nomor 2 Juli 2023 political events, as well as identification with groups that encompass emotions, opinions, or expressions of strongly held values (Mcguire et al., 2010).This stems from the fact that activists aren't solely focused on making a meaningful impact, but they also aspire to be embed with meaning within history, culture, and society at large (Stetsenko, 2012).The usefulness derived from impactful experiences is intertwined with the desire to be infused with deeper significance and meaning, achieved through active participation in activism (Elad-Strenger, 2016).According to this study, there exist a need for a variable that can explain why activists join social movements driven by their inherent sense of self-worth.To delve into the concept of self-worth within the concept of activism, a literature review method was employed.The investigation is grounded in the Quest for Significance (QFS) theory, positing that this conceptual framework can effectively elucidate the factors underpinning the self-worth of activists.
The QFS encompasses a fundamental yearning to embody meaning, receive recognition, instigate change, or attain a valued identity (Dugas et al., 2016).It encapsulates an individual's drive to achieve self-worth through various means, such as the pursuit of acceptance from others (belonging), the drive for accomplishments, the pursuit of status, participation in a larger entity, and the quest for life's purpose (Kruglanski et al., 2014;Kruglanski et al., 2022).The activation of self-worth involves a dual process, where negative experiences, such as failure, discrimination, and self-deprecation, serves as triggers for its loss (significance loss) (Kruglanski et al., 2009).
These experiences often propel individual to seek restoration of their diminished self-worth by adopting roles within a group (Kruglanski et al., 2022).Additionally, the activation can manifest as the pursuit for self-worth (significance gain) through a committed engagement in values, pleasures, and interests, realized by active involvement in a group (Kruglanski et al., 2009).Both these mode of activation lead to a shift toward collectivism, where individuals align their focus with the group aims, ideology, and values (Dugas et al., 2016).This shift emerges because the group offers valuable purposes, like-minded members, recognition for individuals, and pride in being part of a larger group (Kruglanski et al., 2022), thereby fulfilling an inherent need.

Method
This study employed a literature review method in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol developed by Moher et al. (2009).The purpose was to elucidate the themes of self-worth within activism, using the QFS theory as a guiding framework.The search for relevant journals was conducted through databases such as Google Scholar, Springer Nature, Taylor and Francis, and Sage Journal.

Discussion
The results showed that the motivation behind the quest for self-worth had specific themes within the activism literature.The acquisition of self-worth revolves around the activation of significance loss and gain.
Activation of significant loss involved negative

Relationships with others (belonging)
The connections formed among fellow members motivate collective actions by creating a supportive network and a space for shared experiences (Müllenmeister et al., 2022;Strauss Swanson & Szymanski, 2020).
Relationships with others also provide personal

Challenges of activism
Activists face challenges and issues throughout their engagement within groups.
Strauss Swanson and Szymanski (2020) stated that women activists can be triggered by traumatic memories due to direct involvement in handling cases of sexual harassment.
Furthermore, black students experience higher levels of stress in activism as they are exposed to racial discrimination issues while organizing.
Environmental activists, particularly those shouldering substantial organizational responsibilities, are obliged to participate extensively in environmental actions, thereby disrupting their personal obligations.As activism takes precedence, some activists aiming to cultivate and lead organizations gradually distanced from family and close friends, sacrificing personal relationships to dedicate more time to their pursuits (Müllenmeister et al., 2022).Finally, the challenges faced by activists can negatively impact personal lives.However, these challenges can also add to the dynamics of activism which has its own meaning for activist struggles.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the analyzed literature showed that activism was associated with coping mechanism, relationships with others, the creation of positive meaning, and various challenges.The coping mechanism arises from past negative experiences, leading activists to employ activism as a healing process.The positive impacts felt also enhanced the performance of activists, as these affected them personally and improve their life quality.

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Search terms including "political activism," "personal significance," "fulfilling life activism," "meaningful activist," and "activist experience" were employed, with emphasis on titles and keywords.The selection process was performed based on specific inclusion criteria, namely: 1) The study focused on the internalization process of socio-political activism within groups; 2) The utilization of quantitative or qualitative analysis; 3) Publications were within the range of 2000-2023; 4) Journals were indexed in Scimago.jr; 5) The study aligned with the framework of QFS theory.Meanwhile, the exclusion criteria established were: 1) The study did not revolve specifically around the internalization process of activists within groups; 2) Journals that were primarily conceptual frameworks, methodological discussions, review articles, and books; 3) The study exhibited a misalignment with the foundation tenets of the QFS theory.Literature search stage During the initial stage of the search, a total of 198 journal results were retrieved, comprising various types of sources such as articles, books, conference papers, book reviews, literature reviews, and other forms.This study specifically included journals listed on schimagojr.com and publications between 2000 and 2023.Following the removal of 40 duplicate entries, the subsequent screening stage was initiated.During this stage, journals that fell within the realm of conceptual frameworks, methodological discussions, and book reviews were excluded from consideration, while only retaining those related to the psychological processes of socio-political activism.Journals congruent with the framework of QFS theory were selectively incorporated.Following the methodology by How et al. (2021), the content was analyzed collaboratively by 2 authors.The objective was to ascertain the topics of each journal.Additionally, a coding process was applied to categorize journals based on the QFS theory framework, encompassing the activation of significance loss and gain.Out of the initial total, 32 journals did not align with this framework, while 8 were obtained for corresponding.Finally, relevant details such as authors names , part icipants, methods, topics, study designs, and results were documented in an MS Excel spreadsheet.Self-Worth of Social-Political Activists: Theoretical Framework and Systematic Review PSIKOLOGIKA Volume 28 Nomor 2 Juli 2023

Figure 1
Figure 1 Systematic Literature Review Stage experiences that prompt activists to reclaim their lost value.Meanwhile, activation of significance gain occured through the benefits obtained within the groups.The analysis uncovers 4 themes related to activists' self-Self-Worth of Social-Political Activists: Theoretical Framework and Systematic Review PSIKOLOGIKA Volume 28 Nomor 2 Juli 2023 worth, and they include activism as a coping mechanism, positive impacts of activism, relationships with others, and challenges of activism.Activism as a coping mechanism Activism can serve as a coping mechanism to alleviate the psychological consequences of unpleasant personal experiences, trauma, and feelings of powerlessness towards negative events.Hope et al. (2018) stated that Latin minorities employ political activism as a means of neutralizing depression arising from racial discrimination.Furthermore, Strauss Swanson and Szymanski (2020) reported that women activists who have experienced sexual harassment empower themselves within collective groups by raising their voices for justice on behalf of the victims.Negrón-Gonzales (2013) also asserted that immigrant students, grappling with the burden of being undocumented, integrate into campus communities to surmount the shame and trepidation linked to their legal status.Activism becomes a productive effort aimed at alleviating suffering, empowering activists, and fostering a belief of their capacity to effect meaningful change.Positive impacts of activism Klar and Kasser (2009) stated that identifying as an activist and engaging in political activities are associated with wellbeing and life satisfaction.Other studies also indicated that activism is linked to positive impacts in life, such as the development of abilit ies in confident public speaking (Strauss Swanson & Szymanski, 2020).Additionally, activists can earn respected status in society due to their meaningful activities and spiritually-driven life goals(Fox & Quinn, 2012).Activism fosters a fulfilling and meaningful life by enabling individuals to assi st others, pos sess collective strength, and serve as a means of self-expression (Strauss Swanson & Szymanski, 2020).Mitra and Buzzanell (2017) highlighted that through the challenges faced, activists can develop abilities and acquire skills that expand their roles.Satisfaction is obtained through the impact of their work and appreciation for their contributions.
asserted that activists can expand their careers by fostering meaningful connections within their community.According to Negrón-Gonzales (2013), immigrant students isolated from society due to negative stigma discover a Yuthika Jusfayana, Joevarian Hudiyana PSIKOLOGIKA Volume 28 Nomor 2 Juli 2023 sense of belonging in the community of fellow minorities.
Additionally, relationship with colleagues aid in fulfilling the need to share, appreciate, and support each other, thereby forming a network of mutual assistance.The framework of QFS theory was related to the themes in activism study, suggesting potential for possible extension.SuggestionActivism presented its own set of challenges when the work sphere of activists begins to interfere with personal relationships or even trigger traumatic experiences.These challenges added dynamics for activists and potentially yielded negative impacts.Therefore, further study is needed to delve into the more meaningful dynamics through the lens of demanding and challenging work.Studies on activism also needs to incorporate variables of self-worth associated with a coping mechanism, positive impacts, and relationships with others as underlying motivations.However, this investigation is limited because it does not encompass broader and more detailed themes.Subsequent study is recommended to examine activism through the use of meta-analysis systems and empirical studies.This aimed explore the themes already uncovered.

Table 1
Literature Review Results