The Strength of Pushback. Collective Identity in Fragmented Mass Movements
Elise Lobbedez and
Lisa Buchter (lisa.buchter@sciences-po.org)
Additional contact information
Elise Lobbedez: DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, EM - EMLyon Business School
Lisa Buchter: CSO - Centre de sociologie des organisations (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Post-Print from HAL
Abstract:
This article examines how social movement actors can forge and sustain a collective identitydespite heterogeneous backgrounds and the absence of pre-existing commonalities and networks.Based on an ethnography of the French yellow vest movement, we build on the concept of reactiveidentity to describe two key mechanisms. First, we show this movement's collective identity crystallized through the actors' shared reactions to the broader sociopolitical environment. Then, wedescribe how identification processes are reinforced when social movement actors feel rejected,stigmatized, and repressed in their interactions with national institutions, civil society, andindividuals. We explain how these mechanisms are useful for understanding the development ofcollective identities within mass movements, which encompass individuals with various and fragmented identities. Exploring new dimensions of reaction beyond the us-versus-them mechanismsof identity formation, we show how collective identity can coalesce for groups who becamestigmatized as they mobilize to oppose their environment.
Keywords: social movements; collective identity; yellow vest movement; reactive identity; ethnography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:
Published in Mobilization, 2023, 28 (1), pp.61-88. ⟨10.17813/1086-671X-28-1-61⟩
There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04266380
DOI: 10.17813/1086-671X-28-1-61
Access Statistics for this paper
More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD (hal@ccsd.cnrs.fr).