Bodies in Protest ─ Hunger Strikes and Angry Music

Research on social movements has historically focused on the traditional weapons of the working class, especially labor strikes and street demonstrations—but everyday actions, such as eating or singing, which can also be turned into a means of protest, have yet to be fully explored. An interdisciplinary and comparative history of these modes of action,Bodies in Protest reveals how hunger strikes and music ranging from gospel songs to rock anthems can efficiently convey political messages and mobilize the masses. Common to both approaches, the chapters show, is a direct appeal to the emotions and a reliance on the physical, concrete language of the human body.

Johanna Simeant is professor of political science at the University 1 Pantheon Sorbonne.Christophe Traini is professor of political science at the Institute of Political Science in Aix-en-Provence.