From the roundabout to the city center: women’s activist careers and socio-spatial division of activist labor in the Yellow Vest movement

This article follows on from various studies that analyze the internal sociological heterogeneity of social movements and the power relations resulting from it. It focuses on the activist careers of three female activists in the French Yellow Vest movement and shows that the loose, decentralized str...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	French politics Vol. 20; no. 3-4; pp. 346 - 365
Main Authors:	Devaux, Jean-Baptiste, Lang, Marion, Lévêque, Antoine, Parnet, Christophe, Thomas, Valentin
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	London Palgrave Macmillan UK 01-12-2022 Palgrave Macmillan
Subjects:	Activism Activists Careers Comparative Politics Decentralization European Politics Grass roots movement Heterogeneity Humanities and Social Sciences Mobilization Original Article Political Science Political Science and International Relations Political Science and International Studies Power Social activism Social movements Social power Sociology Women Working class Activist career Division of activist labor Gender Socio-spatial organization Social movements Yellow Vest movement France Gilets jaunes
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Summary:	This article follows on from various studies that analyze the internal sociological heterogeneity of social movements and the power relations resulting from it. It focuses on the activist careers of three female activists in the French Yellow Vest movement and shows that the loose, decentralized structure of this movement allows for the emergence of spaces where it is possible, locally and temporarily, to subvert power relations. The demonstration is processual and chronological. We start by analyzing how the social and political background of the three women informed the way they entered the movement and seek what they regard as their rightful place, whether as organizer or as grassroots activist. We then show how the mix of such backgrounds and their first steps in the movements led them to negotiate, stay, or escape from the mobilization sites they frequented.
ISSN:	1476-3419 1476-3427
DOI:	10.1057/s41253-022-00193-x