‘Happy’ activists: Non‐governmental organization staff navigating the social movement/service provider divide in India

Abstract

In the Global South, non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) face criticism; staff employ strategies to mitigate it. What happens when NGO staff express different levels of awareness about such criticism? How are these differences shaped by whether staff identify themselves as ‘community’ members the NGO serves or ‘non‐community’ members whose work serves the community? How do these identities impact NGOs? Through an 18‐month ethnographic study at a large NGO in Bangalore, India, I show that NGO staff members' identification as ‘community’ or ‘non‐community’ members shapes their perceptions of the NGO, their work and the NGO's work. I trace these differing perceptions to mission creep.