Is "activist" a profession now?

[Chuck S]

OK, I have a young relative that for years has said she wanted to be in musical theater. She went a to a well know liberal arts college out of state. Well. low and behold, the last time we spoke, she has dropped out of college, has hooked up with a boyfriend who is also a dropout (he was majoring in psychology) and they plan now to travel around and see the country, no particular destination in mind, just endless traveling. I asked her what they were going to do for money to pay for that lifestyle. She excitedly said she was going to be an "environmental activist!"

I'm like, OK, but is there money in that?

I suggested she change her major and continue her studies, getting a degree in a field that would help her in the alternative energy or water reclamation fields, or even helping endangered species. This was met with *sighs* and eye rolling.

So, am I wrong? Is environmental activism some sort of career that will pay her bills and at least provide basic necessities? I have this image of activism from the 60s, protesters, free love, traveling around in an old Dodge cargo van with shag carpeting in the back ...all fun and games, but no real way to live. I keep thinking her whole goal in life is to be an old fashioned hippie.

 

[blissventure]

OK, I have a young relative that for years has said she wanted to be in musical theater. She went a to a well know liberal arts college out of state. Well. low and behold, the last time we spoke, she has dropped out of college, has hooked up with a boyfriend who is also a dropout (he was majoring in psychology) and they plan now to travel around and see the country, no particular destination in mind, just endless traveling. I asked her what they were going to do for money to pay for that lifestyle. She excitedly said she was going to be an "environmental activist!"

I'm like, OK, but is there money in that?

I suggested she change her major and continue her studies, getting a degree in a field that would help her in the alternative energy or water reclamation fields, or even helping endangered species. This was met with *sighs* and eye rolling.

So, am I wrong? Is environmental activism some sort of career that will pay her bills and at least provide basic necessities? I have this image of activism from the 60s, protesters, free love...all fun and games, but no real way to live. I keep thinking her whole goal in life is to be an old fashioned hippie.

I think she should major in whatever she chooses. It's probably between her and her parents how she's handling the education costs thus far.
Hopefully her parents aren't bankrolling the trip to be an activist. She'll need to find a job.

She may go back to school. She may not. What she does in the next 12-24 months doesn't mean anything, really. She's still a work in progress.

And one of mine majored in musical theatre. Moved on from there and became a real estate attorney. That degree can open doors in surprising ways.

 

[Youarehere]

I think it means she will be going door to door collecting $$ in the name of "saving the environment" only to get paid minimum wage while her "manager" pockets all of the cash except for the minimun he has to donate to legally keep up the scam. My brother got hired for this "job" while he was in college. It lasted all of 10 minutes for him. He actually thought he was going to be helping the environment when he took it.

 

[Chuck S]

I think she should major in whatever she chooses. It's probably between her and her parents how she's handling the education costs thus far.
Hopefully her parents aren't bankrolling the trip to be an activist. She'll need to find a job.

She may go back to school. She may not. What she does in the next 12-24 months doesn't mean anything, really. She's still a work in progress.

And one of mine majored in musical theatre. Moved on from there and became a real estate attorney. That degree can open doors in surprising ways.

I never meant to imply here was anything wrong with majoring in musical theater, or going to a liberal arts school. I'm all for the arts. But major in SOMETHING. I was suggesting ways for her to find a career using her environmental convictions.

 

[GeorgeG]

We have "environmetal activists," "political activists," "animal rights activists," and all sorts of other groups who could probably do more for their respective causes if they just got real jobs and took an interest in their causes on weekends. I've seen so many young people avoiding real jobs for anything from idealistic causes to just plain laziness. Some, simply because mommy and daddy still let them live at home for free. I see that as an insult to those young people who make a good living for themselves.

 

[HM]

I think it means she will be going door to door collecting $$ in the name of "saving the environment" only to get paid minimum wage while her "manager" pockets all of the cash except for the minimun he has to donate to legally keep up the scam. My brother got hired for this "job" while he was in college. It lasted all of 10 minutes for him. He actually thought he was going to be helping the environment when he took it.

My brother was going to do this for a summer job one year during college. He was done after the first day. He also thought he'd be helping the environment.

Maybe the OPs niece just wasn't ready for college life. I wish them luck.
I doubt very much that this will be her "profession" or even a "job" for her. She's off on a lark and it won't last forever.

 

[Camicar]

Actually, there have been paid/professional activists in this country since the time of the abolitionist movement. Temperance activists were sometimes paid, as were suffrage activisists and by the turn of the century (to 1900) there were MANY paid activisits in many areas of social/political action.

 

[allison443]

they plan now to travel around and see the country, no particular destination in mind, just endless traveling. I asked her what they were going to do for money to pay for that lifestyle. She excitedly said she was going to be an "environmental activist!"

I'm like, OK, but is there money in that?

Well, if there isn't money in that, she won't be able to travel very far, will she?
Also, is there money in musical theater for the majority of musical theater majors?

Just look at it as she is taking a "gap year". That is now the politically correct term instead of "dropout" or "finding yourself" as we used to call it!

 

[Stacerita]

My cousin is an activist. He used to work for the Japanses consulat for many years. He speaks three languages, is musically talented, and is an amazing speech writer. But he has chosen to be an activist. He stands on a street corner every Friday protesting the war. He has yet to miss a Friday. He also works for immigrant rights and a few other things. Does he make a living doing that? No. His income is subsidized by another family memeber who pays him a salary to keep fighting for what he believes in. So yeah, activist is a profession. Not one I would choose though.

 

[disney junky]

I think the title of this thread is amusing.