Social Movements in France: Towards a New Citizenship (French Politics, Society and Culture)

Contemporary France has witnessed a rise of new forms of social movement, mobilising around new causes and articulating changing demands. Sarah Waters examines the new generation of movements in the last decade, from anti-racism and the movement of the unemployed to solidarity or the associations of the 'Sans' . She argues that emerging movements share a profoundly civic dimension: these are movements about rights and are concerned with who has rights and what those rights are. They manifest a desire to reinvent citizenship in the present day in relation to a new set of social struggles and conflicts. The Past Decade Of French Politics Was Marked By A Rise Of Social Movements That Articulated New Struggles And Expressed Changing Demands. The New Movements Gave Voice And Representation To Groups That Had Been Marginalised By Political Institutions And Excluded From Mainstream Society. Sarah Waters Explores A 'new Generation Of Movements' Within French Political Life And Seeks To Examine Their Meaning And Significance. The Outstanding Feature Of These Movements Is That They Share A Strong Civic Dimension, Affirming And Defending The Rights Of Different Groups In Society. These Are Movements About Citizenship And About The Rights That This Notion Entails. Far From Being New, French Movements Reveal Ongoing Civic Processes Whereby Marginalised Groups At Particular Points In History Have Mobilised Collectively To Affirm Their Rights. Contemporary Movements Seek To Redefine The Nature Of Citizenship So That It Reflects The Changing Social Realities Of France Today.--jacket. Social Protest In France Today -- A Return Of The Social -- The New Associativeness -- Contemporary Social Movements -- Citizenship And Social Change -- A Civic Dimension -- New Citizenship -- An Alternative Theoretical Model? -- Antiracism: Theory And Practice -- The Failure Of A Movement? -- Fighting The Far Right: Ras L'front -- Rights For All Immigrants: The Sans-papiers -- From 'silence To Revolt': The Unemployed -- A New Social Actor? -- The Winter Of Protest Of 1997-98 -- Mobilising Conflict: The Associations -- Acting For Others: The Solidarity Movement -- The Meanings Of Solidarity -- A Media Transformation -- The Human Rights League -- Political Values -- Strategies -- Forms Of Organisation. Sarah Waters. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 174-175) And Index. The last decade of French politics has been marked by a rise of social movements that articulated new struggles and expressed changing demands. The new movements gave voice and representation to groups that had been marginalised by political institutions and excluded from mainstream society. Sarah Waters explores a 'new generation of movements' within French political life and seeks to examine their meaning and significance. Challenging recent theoretical assumptions and particularly 'new social movement theory', this book argues that it fails to take account of the fundamental logic and purpose of contemporary French movements. The outstanding feature of these movements is that they share a strong civic dimension, affirming and defending the rights of different groups in society. These are movements about citizenship and about the rights that this notion entails. Far from being new, French movements reveal ongoing civic processes whereby marginalised groups at particular points in history mobilise collectively to affirm their rights. The role of contemporary French movements is to redefine the nature and parameters of citizenship so that it reflects the changing social realities of France today Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-10 Social Protest in France Today....Pages 11-36 Citizenship and Social Change....Pages 37-63 Antiracism: Theory and Practice....Pages 64-94 From ‘Silence to Revolt’: the Unemployed....Pages 95-119 Acting for Others: the Solidarity Movement....Pages 120-143 Conclusion....Pages 144-154 Back Matter....Pages 155-180