Professional activism consists of the political mobilisation (e.g., advocacy, awareness raising, social activism) of professionals doing educational, social and community intervention in defence of rights, well-being, and social justice of the people in situations of vulnerability (e.g., migrants/refugees, people in poverty, LGBTQIA+) with whom they work (Costa, Vaz & Menezes, 2021a).

Despite the high relevance of this professional role for contemporary life in Europe and worldwide, reinforced by the growth of vulnerability and social injustice, and highlighted in the literature and in professional guidelines of various disciplines (e.g., education, psychology, social work, nursing, medicine), professional activism is still an understudied topic in Portugal and, mainly, through a multi-professional approach (APA, 2019; MacDonnell & Buck-McFadyen, 2016; NASW, 2022; Picower, 2012).

The topic gained theoretical substance through the intersection with critical understandings of educational, social and community intervention with people in vulnerable situations, especially in adult education and community psychology. These theoretical approaches highlight the ethical-professional, political, critical and pedagogical components of this broad area of intervention (Freire, 1979; hooks, 1994; Ledwith, 2011; Martín-Baró, 1986; Montero, 2004; Nelson & Evans, 2014; Prilleltensky & Fox, 1997), as well as the complexity and richness of the processes of conscientisation, politicisation, learning and knowledge production inherent in this professional praxis and identity (Choudry, 2015; Foley, 2001; Freire, 1975, 1979; hooks, 1994; Lane, 1981; Ledwith, 2011; Montero, 2004; Ollis, 2010).

Previous research revealed a vision of professional activism as a praxis that promotes and is guided by a sense of (in)justice, which, in turn, demands a positioning in defence of the people with whom professionals work, leading to interventions orientated by and towards social justice. Among other results, it also showed that opportunities to incite this political consciousness and positioning and reflect about activism as a relevant professional role are triggered mainly by personal and professional relationships throughout life and by concrete work experiences (Costa, Vaz & Menezes, 2021a, 2021b).

This paper reports the processes and findings of a qualitative study aimed at confronting, deepening and advancing knowledge about professional activism by discussing the previous research findings with a new group of experienced professional activists (Costa, 2023). To this end, we implemented a qualitative study using focus groups (Cohen, Manion & Morisson, 2018) to cross-validate our previous findings regarding the meanings and learning of professional activism. The goal was to explore diverse interpretations of our data to develop a denser, more participative and comprehensive representation of our previous findings (Costa, 2023; Creswell & Miller, 2000; Lietz & Zayas, 2010). 

Focus groups create open, informal and supportive environments for sharing, encouraging interaction between participants and favouring the presentation of elaborate and detailed reports on the topic being studied while providing rich moments for discussion (Braun & Clarke, 2013). Holding these groups made it possible to expand and revise the knowledge acquired in the previous study with the collaboration of members of the target group. Thirteen professional activists took part in this study. They are professionals who work with people in situations of vulnerability in educational, social and community contexts in Portugal and are recognised for orienting their work towards the political sphere. Nine self-identify as women, three as men, and one as non-binary; twelve are white, and one is a black woman, aged between 28 and 67. They primarily work in urban contexts and diverse professional areas and fields of intervention in NGOs, schools, government institutions, universities and health institutions. Three focus discussion groups were held, two with 5 participants each and one with 3 participants, who were identified through personal/professional contacts and at the suggestion of other professionals in the field who were engaged in the previous research, following a snowball strategy (Braun & Clarke, 2013; Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2018). The contact and invitation were made in person and via email or social media (Facebook). The focus groups were held online, at the participants' option, and to ensure higher geographical coverage, and were supported by a script providing for the prior signing of informed consent. The discussion groups began with a brief presentation of the study theme and aims and the main results obtained in the previous study, which served as a basis for the group discussion. These groups aimed to encourage sharing opinions, reflections, and suggestions regarding what had been presented and, above all, the collective conversation of these results based on their experience of activist work and what they know about this professional role. Specific questions were asked to guide the discussion or clarify some specific aspects (Creswell and Miller, 2000; Lietz & Zayas, 2010). The data was analysed using a deductive approach to compare, relate and integrate participants’ reflections, opinions and contributions regarding previous theoretical and empirical evidence and deepen knowledge of the topics.

The participants’ sharing and reflections corroborated most findings from the previous study, contributed to problematising some aspects and added relevant contributions and detail on the meanings and learning of professional activism, advancing and deepening knowledge on these phenomena and pointing out implications and suggestions for future research (Costa, 2023). This study also allowed us to see the research process as a promoter of professionals’ reflection about the practices they implement, actively involving them in their conceptualisation and definition. This paper intends to share the results of this study, which advance the findings from previous research. Concerning the meanings of professional activism, we highlight participants’ reflection on the importance of seeing professionals also as people in situations of vulnerability (due to gender, sexual orientation, class, precariousness, migration, among others), which often correspond to those experienced by the people they work with. About professional activism learning and education, a vision of the education system as non-disruptive, encouraging neutrality and individualised vs. structural interventions stands out. In parallel, participants defend that higher education should promote criticism, political awareness and training for practice, although considering that professional activism learning inevitably results from experience. As implications of the knowledge acquired, we would emphasise the importance of promoting the education and political participation of professionals and valuing learning from experience in adult education. Furthermore, this research reinforced the relevance of deepening knowledge about incentives and needs in formal, non-formal, and informal education regarding professional activism education of professionals who (will) work with people in situations of vulnerability. These aspects gave rise to a new in-depth study on the subject, ensuring the continuity of this research.

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