L'abus de pouvoir (document en anglais).

Powers

In order to begin my presentation about form and location of power, it will be necessary for me to define what power means. In the Oxford dictionary, power refers to the ability to influence the behavior of others or the political or social authority exercised by a government, individuals or an institution. In addition, if power exists in our society, it means that counter-power exists too. If some forces tend to exercise a power on subjects, these subjects may reject the power. Thus how the power can be limited? We will choose a framework related to the relations between Power and Resistance so as to answer this issue.

I. Abuse of Power

1) Abuse of power to face a threat

- MacCarthyism: during the Cold War, the communism was fought on the American soil - Guantanamo and the Patriot Act

2) Abuse of Power may increase the criminality: golden era of gangsters and mafia during the Prohibition period (cf the movie The roaring Twenties, Cotton Club, The Godfather, …)

II. Social Demand to protest against the Power

Protestations and strikes in the Public space (the street) to struggle against Power.

1) Social demands to share the Power

- The Suffragette in the UK (The Women Social and Political Union, The Cat and Mouse Act, the Women Liberation Movement) toward the parity women/men

- Trade Unions in the US and the UK (beginning of the XXth century); the Union movement (mouvement ouvrier) in GB

2) Racial Protest in the US: How African-American protested to access public space as normal citizens

- African American Civil Right Movement (1955-68): affirmative actions

- Marthin Luther King: the March on Washington (1963)

3) National Claims: Nothern Ireland and IRA (fights in the city, in the street)

4) Uprisings (révoltes civiles): the Boston Tea Party in 1773. American Patriot fought against Great Britain ==> beginning of the Independence War.

III. Rejection of Power

From the second part of the XXth century, movements against the Power have become more and more powerful. In the second part we have shown that claims or protestations were a racial, gender or social issues. In this part, we will see that they can embrace more and more people whatever the social class, gender or race.

1) Anti-establishment movements: during the 60’s, in the US – and then, all around the world

2) Hippie movement tend to reject governmental policies, especially the Vietnam War. Many artists joined this movement and created songs, paintings, movies against the ruling class.

3) the Anonymous: struggle for the Idependence of the Internet in a virtual space

4) Occupy Wall Street: demonstrations in the street to denounce the power of financial institutions.

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