A scholarly quest for meaning : Negotiating scholar-activism at the intersection of structure and agency

Universities, operating at the intersection of state, market, and civil society, are increasingly called upon to address urgent global challenges, such as climate change, inequalities, and social injustice. This has given rise to hybrid roles for scholars, ranging from public intellectuals to policy advisers and academic entrepreneurs. Among these roles, scholar-activism stands out by explicitly aligning scholarship with political struggle, often stirring controversy. It raises pressing questions about the role of scholars in social struggles and the balance between academic legitimacy and social responsibility.Scholar-activism may be defined as the mobilization of academic capacities in support of transformative, counter-hegemonic social change. It embraces the political and normative dimensions of scholarship and is rooted in long-term engagement with movements, community organizations, and campaigns. However, in practice, the concept is fluid and contested, shaped by local, institutional, and socio-political contexts.This thesis investigates the diverse meanings, practices, and tensions of scholar-activism. It consists of four studies: two literature reviews and two empirical studies from Sweden and South Africa. Drawing on a political sociology of science and critical realism, it demonstrates, first, the practices of scholar-activism within teaching, research, and collaboration. Second, it highlights the underlying structures that enable or constrain scholar-activism, including geopolitical and historical contexts, disciplinary norms, governance structures, and dominant epistemic regimes. Finally, it illustrates the internal and social negotiations that mediate between structure and agency, namely mobilizing emancipatory motivations, engaging criticality, navigating legitimacy, and negotiating trust and solidarity.This thesis reveals not only the ambiguities and uncertainties surrounding the meaning and boundaries of scholar-activism but also how structural realities—geopolitical, institutional, and disciplinary—shape those ambiguities. It demonstrates that activism does not emerge as a fixed role but as a dynamic negotiation at the intersection of agency and structure. By applying a political sociology of science lens, it shows the value of combining constructivist and realist insights. Furthermore, by extending the knowledge field beyond Global North contexts, the thesis offers a richer, contextually sensitive understanding of what it means to make scholarship matter.