On Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m., the History Department of the Institut La Boétie and the For The People foundation are organized a symposium on the theme ‘Ending the High Cost of Living? A Popular and Living History,’ at the Espace Conférences in Paris (11th arrondissement).
The history of social struggles has focused heavily on working-class struggles centered around the issue of labor—which are, of course, paramount. However, it has sometimes overshadowed another focus of popular struggles: the issue of the high cost of living. Yet, from the grain riots of the 18th century to the Yellow Vests revolt, and from the French Revolution to Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York, these movements centered on the accessibility of essential goods have never ceased to be highly prominent.
This symposium, hosted by the History Department of the Institut La Boétie and the For The People foundation, aimed to establish these struggles as a central object of analysis for the emancipation movement, through several examples spanning from the 18th century to the present day. It allowed the discussion of many essential topics to understand this popular history and fuel today’s struggles: the central role of women, the importance of the sphere of social reproduction, the dynamics of revolutionary movements, and the key role of specific sectors such as food or housing. In the moment that cost of living deeply affects the European Union citizens, this was a crucial debate.