Popular Political Cultures

Introduction

• Politics as administration and government• What about the ordinary people?

1. Historiography

2. Ideology of government

3. Forms of popular politics:• Rebellion• Riot• Resistance

1. Historiography

• Traditional understanding that ordinary people were apolitical: excluded from positions of power, no vote, no political awareness.

• 50s and 60s: interest in forms of mass protest: riot, rebellion, demonstrations.

‘a complex form of direct popular action, disciplined, and with clear objectives’

• 70s and 80s: what about the politics of those that did not riot? ‘Everyday’ forms of politics

2. Government and Ideology

‘an ongoing bargaining process between those who claim governmental authority in a given territory (rulers), and

those over whom that authority is said to extend (subjects).’ [Wayne te Brake]

• Notion of reciprocity: government by mutual consent of rulers and ruled

• Works on an international level (emperor and territorial rulers); national level (monarch and ruling classes); and local level (authorities and ordinary people).

3. Forms of Popular Politics a. REBELLION

• Causes: Economic: high taxes, rent increases, oppressive landlords, enclosure.

Religious: in defence of Catholicism or in support of Protestantism

• Characteristics: Lack of violencePlanning and co-ordination (fast spread of risings, organised camps)Limited aimsFundamental loyalty to crown

(blame evil councillors)

Swabian Articles

• The articles will ‘provide a Christian justification for the disobedience of all the peasants’.

• Seventh article: we will not allow a lord to oppress us further.

• Tenth article: we are aggrieved that some have appropriated meadows or arable that once belonged to the community. We wish to restore these to common ownership.

• First article: It is our humble plea and request… that we should henceforth have the power and authority for the whole community to choose and elect its own pastor, and the power to depose him should he conduct himself improperly.

• Second article: We will gladly pay the true grain tithe, only in just measure.

• ‘the purpose of all the peasant’s articles is to hear the Gospel and live according to it.’

Kett’s Rebellion

• We pray that all ffreholders and copieholders may take the profights of all commons, and ther to comon, and the lords not to comon nor take profights of the same.

• We pray that Ryvers may be ffre and comon to all men for fyshying and passage.

• We pray that prests or vicars that be not able to preche and sett forth the woorde of god to hys parisheners may be thereby putt from hys benyfice, and the parisheners there to chose an other or else the pateron or lord of the towne.

b. RIOT

KEY CONCEPT: moral economy

‘a consistent, traditional view of social norms and

obligations, of the proper economic functions of several parties within the community, which, taken together, can be

said to constitute the moral economy of the poor’.

E.P.Thompson

• Principles and logic behind riot. When moral values and traditional rights are violated or ignored, the crowd take action.

• Characteristics:

Preceded by petitioning or litigation (last resort)

Limited aims

Discipline of crowd (price setting)

Legalistic and deferential language

• Meant to inspire the magistrates to action, appealed to paternal, patriarchal and hierarchical ideology that lay behind governance.

Recap:

• Common people have political agency

• This is ‘deferential’. Accept principles of hierarchy and patriarchy, and endorse them.

• Political action does not challenge the system, but points out corruptions and abuses of hierarchical system.

• Consent, reciprocity, and mutual benefit

c. RESISTANCE?

• Are deference and outward obedience a tactics? • Avoid severe punishment by appearing to endorse and

accept system of hierarchy• This did not threaten superiors, so was more likely to get

results. A tactic.

• ‘The safest and most public form of discourse is that which takes as its basis the flattering self-image

of elites’.

John Walter

c. RESISTANCE?

• What if we do not take deference at face value?

• What if patterns of riot and rebellion, and the language of deference was merely a tactic concealing subversive politics?

• Did the commons, unable to resist openly, employ other tactics and strategies that subverted and threatened the authorities?

c. RESISTANCE

KEY CONCEPT:

weapons of the weak:

everyday forms of resistance

James C. Scott

Weapons of the weak:• Libel• Threats of arson• Anonymous letters• Rumours• Underground verse• Seditious speech

• Direct threat to the social order• Undermine notions of paternalism and hierarchy• Demonstrate that people did recognise inequality in

society, and saw it as unjust and unfair

The corn is so dearI doubt many will starve this year.If you see not to thisSome of you will speed amiss.Our souls they are dearFor our bodies have some careBefore we ariseLess will suffice.NOTE the poor, there is moreThan goes from door to doorYou that are set in placeSee that your profession you do not disgrace.

Weapon of the weak: Anon letter

Weapon of the weak: seditious ballad

Thou shalt do no right nor thou shalt take no wrongeThou shalt catche what thou canstThou shalt paie no manThou shalt comitt adulteryeThou shalt beare false wittnes against thy neyghbor Thou shalt covet thy neighbors wiefeThou shalt sell a hundred sheepe to Henrye Hopkines,

afterThou shalt drawe the best of themThou shalt sell thy oxen twiceThou shalt denye thye owne hand

Summary• Political activity NOT the exclusive preserve of social

elites

• Common people participated in political process, had a wide range of tactics and strategies available to negotiate power

• Ideology that underpinned government opened many spaces for popular action, indeed, popular consent was necessary for the functioning of government.

• However, there is also evidence that ordinary people could be involved in much more subversive forms of political action.