Document Type
Article
Abstract
The tactics of activists have changed a great deal over the past century, shifting from direct contentious action to more moderate and individualistic forms of resistance. This essay looks at some of the approaches to activism used in disease advocacy movements as exemplars of the range that contemporary organizations can take. Specifically, it analysis AIDS activism, with special attention to the New York chapter of ACT UP, breast cancer activism, and heart disease activism. The first marks a high point for direct action, while the others show the trend of disengagement and some of the ways that successful groups create opportunities for loose membership. The final section assesses specific lessons from the successes of these three kinds of disease activism and how other groups can learn from them.
Repository Citation
Schulzke, Marcus. "Fighting for Health: A Comparative Look at Disease Activism." Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture vol. 10, no. 3, 2010, pp. 1–15. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/reconstruction/vol10/iss3/18