Activism can consist of simple acts that are part of your daily life, Sue Morrow, associate professor of counseling psychology, said as part of the Women’s Resource Center’s weekly Food for Thought Lunchtime Series on Nov. 8.
Activism on a large scale can be overwhelming, while small gestures can have a big impact, she said.
Morrow said she thought it would be useful to talk about ways students can be activists without trying to change the world.
She said there is no singular approach to activism; everyone has his or her own methods, from volunteering to being involved in the workplace.
“When I talk about activism, I never want to imply that everyone has to do it in the same way,” Morrow said.
The workplace can provide opportunities for activism, she said.
“I think about privilege as working in an environment where I get to be out about my politics,” she said. “A lot of folks don’t have that privilege to be activists at work and school, except maybe in a smaller way.”
Lynette Averill, a first year doctoral student in counseling psychology, volunteers her time at a rape recovery center but didn’t see it as activism when she first got involved.
Averill came to realize that telling people about her job raises awareness. Many people she talks with are surprised to learn that rape is a problem in Salt Lake City.
“It opens a lot of people’s eyes,” she said.
Morrow suggested a number of ways to get involved through daily life, such as actively supporting some groups via e-mail.
Quoting Gloria Steinem, Morrow said, “Tonight before you go to bed, do one ‘outrageous act’ on behalf of activism.”