Caitlin Cuan
AM Cultural Ethnography

“If not you, who? If not now, when?”
Within the great span of human progress, our advancement in most areas of knowledge has been driven by a select group of individuals who find a strong motivation to take action and affect change. These persons, known in our colloquial language as activists, have been instrumental in contributing and improving our vast communal intelligence. In my ethnography, I will be observing, interviewing, documenting, and analyzing this profile of “activist” and in particular, what specific theme or passion motivates this group to take action. My overall question will be, “What motivates one to get involved in current or controversial issues and how has that motivation changed over time?”