When survival becomes politics: necessity activism and identity work under precarity

Collective action is essential for tackling social, institutional, and environmental challenges, often fuelled by shared identities, common norms, and a belief in the possibility of change. However, the impact of participating in collective action on individual identities, and how this knowledge can shape future efforts to maintain engagement and promote positive change, remains underexplored. This study uses a liminal and identity work approach to examine how precarious Spanish activists, involved in long-term struggles against precarity, develop and negotiate their identities as activists through protest participation. Based on a qualitative study spanning over nine years, this research focuses on the experiences of activists from two collectives in Seville, Spain, that emerged in response to the Great Recession. Our findings introduce the concept of necessity activism to describe political engagement driven by survival needs rather than ideological commitment. We show how activists facing precarity undergo a three-phase identity transformation: forced separation, intensive identity work, and varied outcomes including burnout, withdrawal, or adaptive re-engagement. This process highlights the emotional and material costs of activism and the ongoing reconstruction of activist identities under the liminal conditions created by precarity.