Sociology of the Yellow Vests. Reproduction and Social Struggles

Maison Suger is pleased to host the second session of the seminar organised by GRETS, Sociology of the Yellow Vests. Reproduction and Social Struggles, with Antoine Bernard De Raymond (INRAE) and Sylvain Bordiec (Université de Bordeaux). The session will be introduced by Catherine Grandclément (EDF R&D et i3-CRG, École Polytechnique).

The emergence of the Yellow Vest movement on 17 November 2018 surprised many observers. How could a call to blockades against a diesel tax mobilise popular social groups so massively? Why did the demands focus on "purchasing power" and "fiscal justice"? In what ways do the Yellow Vests represent a renewal of social contestation?

Based on long-term research with local groups of Yellow Vests, this study shows that the revolt stems less from conflict within the sphere of production than from a crisis in the social reproduction of working-class households in peri-urban and rural areas. Demands relating to the price of diesel fuel, in particular, reflect the cost of reproducing the workforce (with cars primarily used for commuting). More broadly, the mobilisation of the Yellow Vests engages issues related to the "future of children", education, and intergenerational solidarity within families. Beyond questions of production, the analysis emphasises the central role of social reproduction, embedded in domestic and family spheres.

Paradoxically, a movement initially centred on material living conditions results in a challenge to politics and representative government. The role of roundabouts as gathering points is crucial in the generalisation of demands. The logic of addressing political rather than economic authorities is also highlighted. Drawing on the case of the Yellow Vests, the study shows that, more generally, revolts against the high cost of living translate into "governability crises" and a demand to "not be overly governed".

• Antoine Bernard De Raymond is a sociologist and Director of Research at INRAE (Bordeaux Sciences Economiques). His work focuses on economic practices and changes in lifestyles. → Discover his personal page.
• Sylvain Bordiec is a sociologist and senior lecturer at the University of Bordeaux (Ceds). His work focuses on the relationship between individual socialization and public action.

• Antoine Bernard de Raymond et Sylvain Bordiec. Sociologie des Gilets jaunes. Reproduction et luttes sociales. Éditions du Bord de l’Eau, 2024. 
• Loïc Bonin, Antoine Bernard de Raymond, Sylvain Bordiec, Karine Clément, Charif Elalaloui, Théo Gremion, Pauline Liochon, Quentin Ravelli, Emmanuelle Reungoat. « Les Gilets jaunes : une révolte sans fin ? Une ethnographie comparée des ronds-points pour comprendre la durée du mouvement». Genèses. Sciences sociales et histoire, 2023, 130, p. 80-111.
• Antoine Bernard de Raymond et Sylvain Bordiec. « Bridging the Gap in Social Movement Research : Family as Vehicule for the Mobilization for the Yellow Vests ». French Politics, 2022, 20 (3-4), p.504-528.