The article summarizes some of the main arguments developed by Dr. Delia Dumitrica and Dr. Mélodine Sommier in their ongoing research about the symbolic struggle over the phrase “the people” during the “Gilets Jaunes” movement.
The article is published on the website Sociale Vraagstukken. Dr. Delia Dumitrica and Dr. Mélodine Sommier reflect on the meanings associated with “the people” in the French context and in relation to the “Gilets Jaunes” movement: Who claimed to represent “the people”? What are the attributes of “the people”? Which symbols were associated with “the people”, and by whom? Answers to these questions signal how the phrase “the people” has been used to embolden as well as dismiss the movement. Findings from this research provide relevant insights into the construction of collective identity for (digitally-mediated) contemporary social movements.
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