Qualitative inquiry into goal structures among activists and non-activists

In two studies, we plan to investigate how goal structures are associated with engagement in political activism. The aims are following: 1. We will identify the types of goal structures related to activism (e.g., how balanced vs. Imbalanced it is) 2. We will compare how goal structures of activists and non-activists may differ. 3. We intend to explore new measurement methods for studying goal structures in the political and activist context. In Study 1, we plan to interview activists and nonactivists who both support the same political goals but differ in their level of behavioral engagement. In Study 2 we will conduct focus groups with moderate and radical activists as well as nonactivists to validate and enrich the findings from the first study.