Suchergebnisse

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.

Two types of social movements characterized by the causes they advocate for and the means implemented, without fully excluding each other, are currently sweeping across France. Facing a category of social movement embodied primarily by the figure of the «Gilets jaunes» whose material claims dominate, another type of movement is gaining strength focusing mainly on promoting principles that fall more under values and «vivre ensemble» (living together), such as gender issues and those concerning Islam. These differences translate into a differentiated use of the means of struggle. The former primarily rely on their physical presence in the streets and the latter on their pervasiveness in cyberspace through social media. This divergence affects their ability to make their goals prevail. Social movements prioritizing nonmaterial causes aligned with the ruling elite's – the elite bloc – culture and ideology manage easily to place their actions on the Government's agenda. However, the movements of «peripheral France» such as the «Gilets Jaunes» find a faint echo among the ruling class and are marginalized in terms of public policy- making.

An overview of the past twenty-five years of French Marxist thinking on alternative movements is presented, focusing especially on the work of Louis Althusser (eg, see Pour Marx, [For Marx], Paris: Francois Maspero, 1965). The Fordist compromise & the model of liberal management of technological change are discussed. Progress is measured against three themes: autonomy of individuals & groups, solidarity between individuals & groups, & ecology as a principle for relations among society, the products of social activity, & the environment. The changes for a "green & red" amalgamation that would bring together worker movements & new social movements are estimated. Rejection of sectarianism is argued to be the first step toward a new politics. 25 References. A. Waters

At the international level, the study of the historical dynamics of the mobilization of the autistic persons' organizations shows that they refuse the representation of autism as a disease. Generally, the activist movements define autism as another mode of functioning, and stress the positive and creative features associated with neurodiversity. The study of the French case puts other views in evidence. Thus, the aim of the French-speaking association, Satedi, is to shed light on the autistic functioning, to help autistic persons and their families, and to influence the orientation of the research on autism and political decisions. The French system is characterized by a partnership between the State and the associations of parents, and its historical and cultural context, in particular the opposition to communitarianism. These factors do not appear to favour the development of radical demands in the field of disability.