Beyond Performative Activism: An Exploration of Motivators to Participate in Anti-Racist Activism Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

Background Social media allows individuals to participate in social activism and contribute to the discourse around societal and health inequities. Given the different roles social media plays in social activism, there is a need to investigate further the underlying motivations and the mechanisms by which people choose to partake in social media activism and other civic actions. The present study applied the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to understand motivators toward activism on social media platforms. Methods Cross-sectional, convenience sampling, and logistic regression. Results In a sample of 171 adults, we found that one’s sense of autonomy was associated with signing petitions (AOR= 1.40, p<.001) and sharing on social media (AOR=1.62, p<.001) regarding the topic of police brutality. Sense of competency and autonomy were associated with signing petitions (AOR=1.35, p <.001and AOR=1.32, p=0.001 respectively) and sharing news on social media (AOR =1.32, p< 0.001 for competency and AOR=1.45, p =.001 for autonomy), as they related to violence against Black Americans. When examining discrimination against Black Americans, we found that higher self-perceived competency toward signing petitions (AOR=1.39, p<.001), sharing news on social media (AOR=1.23, p=0.011), and discussing with friends and family (AOR=1.86, p=.001) is associated with the act of actually doing so. Sharing on social media was associated with increased odds of donations (AOR=5.09, p<.001) and of having discussions with family and friends (AOR=5.04, p=.007) on topics related to discrimination, violence, or police brutality toward Black Americans. Conclusion These results can help social movements inform their communications and social media activism strategies by pairing action steps with social media outreach efforts.