A Post-contentious turning point for the contentious French? Crisis without protest in France

Didier Chabanet (1, 2) , Manlio Cinalli (3) , Anne Muxel (3) , Steven M. Van Hauwaert (4) , Thierry Vedel (3)

1 TRIANGLE - Triangle : action, discours, pensée politique et économique
2 IDRAC Business school Lyon - Institut pour le Développement et la Recherche d'Action Commerciale
3 CEVIPOF - Centre de recherches politiques de Sciences Po (Sciences Po, CNRS)
4 Universität Mainz

This chapter shows that the ‘contentious French’ may not be that contentious anymore. The economic crisis provides a unique chance to argue that a post-contentious turning point is emerging in spite of a long-standing tradition of protesting. Yet the chapter suggests that this post-contentious turning point is not bringing about acquiescence but opens space for new forms of political participation, especially in connection with resources acquired through employment and educational track. In this case, we find a more extensive engagement in online activism and non-institutional forms of political participation, that is, the two forms of political participation that are less ‘active’ and require a more modest time commitment. These findings are also put in the broader context of contemporary French politics.

Mots clés: contentious French; political participation; France; political activism

Domaines: Science politique

Didier Chabanet, Manlio Cinalli, Anne Muxel, Steven M. Van Hauwaert, Thierry Vedel. A Post-contentious turning point for the contentious French? Crisis without protest in France. Giugni, Marco; Grasso, Maria T. Citizens and the crisis : experiences, perceptions, and responses to the Great Recession in Europe, Palgrave Macmillan, pp.115-139, 2018, Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology, 9783319689593. ⟨10.1007/978-3-319-68960-9_5⟩. ⟨halshs-01719338⟩