4th Year Hon. Mention: Rebellious in Defence of Custom: Deconstructing the Gilets Jaunes

POLS 4980, Honours Colloquium, Capitalism, Class and Social Movements. CD: Jeffery Webber.

Abstract

What is the relationship between class, politics, visibility and the gilets jaunes movement in France? The author of this essay performs a riveting analysis of this movement, using E.P Thompson’s definition of “class” to better define the gilets jaunes’ initial stance and their shift to a more radical position. In doing so, the author argues, the movement becomes “rebellious in defence of custom.” This sophisticated analysis calls on evidence from a multiplicity of sources to examine the economic and political forces that shaped the gilets jaunes movement’s embrace of visibility and an apolitical stance, their initial demands, and the changes that occurred as their political awareness grew. Particularly notable is the writer’s examination of the limitations of the movement, especially the conclusion that racialized communities and non-French peoples – particularly those who “populate the impoverished urban banlieus” – have been excluded and remain unengaged. This fascinating analysis better illuminates a significant movement of our time.