Professional Activism Engagement and Education: Exploring Connections With Inland Geographies,Gender and Mental Health - A Scoping Review Protocol

Introduction

Professional Activism (PA) is highly relevant to contemporary life in Europe and beyond. It refers to social justice advocacy and other forms of political mobilization of professionals on behalf of people in situations of vulnerability (PSV) (e.g., migrants, refugees, people experiencing poverty and/or homelessness, LGBTQIA+ individuals) with whom they work in educational, social, and community intervention. PA involves conveying and supporting PSV’s concerns and aspirations through diverse actions (e.g., debates, protests, and contact with policymakers) (Costa, 2023; Costa et al., 2021a).

This intersection of educational, social, and community work with PSV and the political sphere, is widely explored in the literature. However, different disciplines employ varied terminology to describe it (Figueira-McDonough, 1993; Gal & Weiss-Gal, 2013; Goodman et al., 2004; Greenslade et al., 2015; Jansson, 2003, 2017; Kagan, 1997; Kagan et al., 2011; MacDonnell & Buck-McFadyen, 2016; McLaughlin, 2009; Petrarca, 2016; Picower, 2012; Weiss-Gal, 2017; Wolff, 2013). Common terms include social justice advocacy, policy practice, workplace activism, and social justice work, reflecting the diverse ways in which professionals engage politically within their fields.

Regardless of the specificities that may differentiate these concepts and the professional fields in which they are discussed (e.g., psychology, healthcare, social work, education), they generally point to the idea of political professional engagement aimed at social and political change and the promotion of social justice (Freire, 1975; hooks, 1994). We call it PA to encompass this diversity of terminology, conceptualizations, and the multidisciplinary/professional scope they represent, establishing a foundation for our research. This PA engagement materializes through more or less explicit or covert forms of active participation in the course of one’s work. Specifically, it includes advocating for the causes, rights, and interests of individuals in situations of vulnerability – whether for a specific person or for the benefit of all those affected by a given issue – by conveying their concerns and aspirations when they are unable to do so themselves or by encouraging (and promoting) their active participation and representation in these processes. It also involves supporting individuals in expressing their opinions and ensuring they are heard, questioning, formulating, and changing policies (locally, nationally, and internationally) that affect them, denouncing social injustices and continuously diagnosing their root causes, challenging the status quo, and raising awareness of the political, structural, and economic dynamics that sustain unjust social conditions for PSV.

Nevertheless, although PA is strongly endorsed in the literature, professional guidelines, and ethical codes across various fields (e.g., social work, psychology, education, nursing) (American Psychological Association, 2019; MacDonnell & Buck-McFadyen, 2016; National Association of Social Workers, 2022; Picower, 2012), a gap remains between this incentive and its implementation (Gewirtz-Meydan et al., 2016; Pawar, 2019). Recent and innovative empirical evidence on PA has revealed new dimensions that help explain professionals’ (dis)engagement and deepen our understanding of PA education and learning (Costa, 2023; Costa et al., 2025). Firstly, the geographical context stood out as requiring further attention and research, with the findings suggesting that professionals working in inland regions have fewer (diverse) opportunities for PA. Concretely, the more precarious working conditions and scarcer access to funding resources (than coastal regions/large urban centers) restrict their chances of carrying out consistent, strategic and long-term PA. Consequently, a context with fewer organizations and professionals makes creating alliances and critical mass for change more difficult. The findings also revealed the need to reinforce the know-how to do PA, particularly in these contexts. In addition, gender inequality and norms and mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, burnout) were identified as significant obstacles to PA, particularly affecting women and LGBT professionals, and requiring further recognition and in-depth research (Costa, 2023; MacDonnell & Buck-McFadyen, 2016; Stern & Brown, 2016). Moreover, a robust identification with PA (vision of oneself as an activist) combined with greater social and contextual enablement (e.g., political socialization/experience) leads to increased involvement with PA. Additionally, the more professionals perceive themselves as capable of promoting social justice (social justice self-efficacy), the more they will engage in it. Professionals’ political education and experience can play an important role here by increasing professionals’ awareness, confidence and willingness to act politically (Costa et al., 2025; Heinowitz et al., 2012; Lustig-Gants & Weiss-Gal, 2015; MacDonnell & Buck-McFadyen, 2016).

PA implies a particular way of seeing and being in work and, thus, a concrete know-how – how to be and how to do. A know-how that presupposes a political education, specifically a PA education that implies learning, knowledge production, and identity building (Costa, 2023; Costa et al., 2021b). This research highlighted the relevance of considering and further explore the two sides of PA education: the one happening in formal educational settings to train professionals for practice by raising their critical/social awareness, political consciousness, knowledge, and capacity building for PA – the ‘Education for PA’ (Lustig-Gants & Weiss-Gal, 2015; Picower, 2012); and the one informally and implicitly occurring throughout practice/experience – the ‘Education in PA’ (Choudry, 2015; Foley, 1999).

Despite the growing international academic interest in PA and its increasing importance as a promoter of better living conditions, well-being and social justice for PSV, there is a lack of systematized evidence concerning PA relationship with these dimensions, concretely concerning PA engagement and education. A preliminary search revealed that there are no known systematic or scoping reviews, either current or in progress, focused on these topics. However, these aspects and contexts require particular attention in this regard, not only due to the lack of resources, (learning) opportunities and critical alliances for professionals, but mainly because of the impact that these absences and other added challenges, particularly in inland geographies, may have on the lives of PSV (e.g., difficulty in accessing services, social and healthcare, and specialized support networks).

Hence, following the Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework and stages proposal, and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological guidelines for scoping reviews (Peters et al., 2020), this scoping review proposes to address these gaps by outlining the existing evidence concerning PA engagement and education in connection with inland geographies, gender, and mental health. This study will seek to understand what is already known about the relationship between these dimensions, namely their influence on professionals’ PA (dis)engagement, and how PA learning opportunities can contribute to overcoming related obstacles, accessing specific needs regarding PA education and participation, and identifying concrete ways of strengthening these two areas. For these purposes, the context for this scoping review will be interdisciplinary, considering diverse professions (e.g., teachers, social workers, psychologists, nurses, and lawyers) and areas of intervention (e.g., migration, gender, poverty, drug use) characteristic of educational, social and community work with PSV.

This scoping review is mainly aligned with the goal of “summarizing and disseminating research findings” that might inform both research and practice, as well as stakeholders (policymakers) who “might otherwise lack time or resources to undertake such work themselves” (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005, p. 21). Additionally, this review intends to identify gaps in research regarding the nature and diversity of knowledge concerning professional activist engagement and education in relation to inland contexts, gender and mental health issues, that might inspire future research.

Review Question

To meet the aim of systematically identifying and synthesizing the existing body of international literature about the relationship between PA and the inland geographical context, gender inequalities and norms, and mental health challenges, the following research questions will be answered:

1. What does the existing literature say about PA engagement and education intersection with inland geographical contexts, gender inequalities and norms, and mental health challenges?

a) To what extent do studies on PA engagement or PA education address inland regions, gender inequalities and norms, and mental health issues?

Inclusion Criteria

Methods

The proposed scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews (Peters et al., 2020). This scoping review protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF).

Conclusion

This scoping review will provide an innovative, relevant, and timely contribution to advancing knowledge on professional activism engagement and education, particularly regarding the influence of working in inland geographical contexts, professionals’ gender inequalities and norms, and mental health issues (e.g., burnout). The findings are expected to clarify how these dimensions are conceptualized and characterized in the literature, as well as how they are articulated in relation to processes of professional activism engagement and learning. Specifically, this scoping review will assess specific needs related to professional activism education and participation, as well as strategies to strengthen them; examine how these dimensions may promote or inhibit professional activism engagement; and highlight relevant and positive experiences reported in the literature that may inform and inspire practice.

Furthermore, the review aims to systematize the challenges and recommendations identified across studies concerning professional activism engagement and education, with particular attention to these intersecting dimensions. Finally, it will identify significant gaps in the existing body of research, especially regarding the nature, scope, and diversity of knowledge on these intersections. Therefore, this review will create an in-depth theoretical framework to further advance this field of debate, informing and inspiring future research, as well as the development of more contextualized and responsive educational, intervention, and research practices in this field.