Activism and disobedience represent two fundamental concepts in the field of collective action studies. Although traditionally associated with protest and claims movements aimed at protecting specific interests, these phenomena have undergone a significant evolution, adapting to changes in economic, cultural and institutional structures. The aim of this chapter is to provide a clear and articulate theoretical framework regarding the very roots of civil associationism and its historical evolution, with particular attention to the role it has played in the processes of democratisation and in the construction of the concept of active citizenship. This will allow us to understand how activism and disobedience are not isolated phenomena, but part of a broader system of social, cultural and political relationships, capable of constructing and deconstructing their conceptual boundaries from time to time.