Abstract:
Activism involves doing acts that would help bring about social and political change. Despite this,
the current government has been constantly saying negative things about movements and
organizations that fight for different causes. The views of the government may affect the views of
family members and, in turn, may have an effect when a student activist discloses his/her political
involvement. This phenomenological study aims to explore the lived experiences of student
activists who have disclosed their identities to their families. The respondents of the study
were gathered through a non-probability sampling technique – purposive and respondent-driven
sampling. An informed consent was given and discussed to each chosen participant before
proceeding with the study. The data were collected through one-on-one in-depth interviews
guided by a semi-structured guide. Analysis of the participants’ stories was done through thematic
analysis. While there are student activists who voluntarily tell their families of their identities, or
there are families who are aware of their child’s activism, most student activists get “outed” before
they could even decide telling their families. The reactions were varied. The biggest concern of all
families revolve around safety.
