UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

The investigation of ground

The first stage of this study was first of all the collection of materials of research necessary. Existing work on Attac was too distinct in their subject or them « ground of investigation » so that it is possible to use them^31(*). In order to collect sufficient information and data we had recourse to the newspaper cuttings which were collected^32(*). These documents made it possible to carry out a history of the movement, but also to determine the image of Attac within media space^33(*).

In addition, we proceeded to one « immersion » within association, in its national dimension but especially in the local group isérois while attending many meetings^34(*). Moreover, it was of primary importance to accompany the militants during mobilizations in order to observe their mode of action^35(*). During these mobilizations and of these meetings, many observations and catches of notes were carried out. It is they which made it possible to work out the principal assumptions of research. Was the goal of these observations, on the one hand, to note how the militants are organized (i.e. to examine the course of a debate, the way in which an action is organized) and, on the other hand, of considering the relations which the militants maintain between them within the local group (which is user-friendliness? Which reception is reserved to the new members ? Which place oldest occupy ?). It was also possible to gather a whole whole of first hand documents such as leaflets, reports/ratios, but also of the works published by association. These documents had three functions. They have, first of all, allowed a better knowledge of information (claims, statutes). They also constituted a means to determine which image and which presentation of oneself the persons in charge for Attac wish to give association. Lastly, the documents intern allowed to know starting from which speech the militants were mobilized.

In order to collect information near the militants, it was possible to be registered on a mailing-list named Attac-talk^36(*). The most important source of information on the militants of the local committee was a series of talks which were led from April to at the end of June near nine members isérois. Those were retranscribed in their quasi-integrality and appear as an annexe^37(*). The talks occupy a sufficiently important place within this research so that we explain the step of it.

The diversity of surveyed 

The first encountered difficulty was to find sufficient individuals wishing to be interviewed. In spite of an intervention during a general meeting and the distribution of a mail to the militants, only two volunteers presented themselves. It was necessary to take a step of word of mouth which was shown more profitable. On the other hand, only a refusal was opposed because of a too overloaded timetable^38(*).

Vis-a-vis the complexity and with the richness of the singular configurations, the constitution of a representative sample according to traditional criteria's (age, profession, marital status, residence) appeared not very relevant^39(*). This is why it seemed preferable to gather a great level of diversity.

First of all from the point of view of age groups represented, the sample can be divided into three groups: people of less than twenty-five years which are « inactive » (Cecile, Isabelle) ; an intermediate group, the 25-40, which are in the active life (Francois, Laurent) and a group of more than forty years which are towards the end of their active life (Thomas, Julie, Fabien, Lionel, Luc). Taking into consideration socio-professional category, two people interviewed are students (Cecile, Isabelle), two work in teaching (Laurent, Fabien), two in the associative sector (Lionel, Julie), two in the private sector (Francois, Thomas) and one inquired is with the retirement (Luc).

In consideration of engagement in Attac, and it is the most important criterion in the choice of the interviewed people, one surveyed falls under an adhesion « passive » (Fabien), i.e. without there being participation in the actions or the meetings, falls under an increasing phase of militancy (Laurent), one in a downward phase (Isabelle), which we will compare to a possible defection, three are located in what one could call an engagement « moderated » (Lionel, Francois, Cecile) and three in a strong militant activity (Julie, Thomas, Luc).

Finally with respect to the last militant experiments of each people interviewed, four fall under a last fort militant and structured an enough network of militancy. They cumulate sometimes adhesions in associations and could be compared to « professionals » of the militancy (Thomas, Francois, Cecile, Luc), while five do not have a last fort political militant, associative or trade-union and do not cumulate by adhesions ; they are thus compared to « beginners » (Julie, Fabien, Laurent, Isabelle). One can already note that among the four professional militants, one (Thomas) had an adhesion with the revolutionary communist League (LCR) with which it still maintains the relations, while the two others (Francois, Cécile) are also militant with the LCR. The political positioning of these militants « professionals » very is consequently clearly targeted.

The talks proceeded^40(*) either in the residence of the interviewed people (Laurent, Isabelle, François), or on their place of work (Thomas, Fabien, Julie, Lionel), or in my residence (Cecile), or still in FSU where Attac holds its room (Thomas, Luc). Their duration was rather long since shortest of the talks lasted a little less than two hours (Isabelle^41(*)), while the others lasted between three and four hours, it thus acts there of thorough talks. This duration which can at first sight seem excessive explains by the objective of research.

* ³¹ Flore Trautmann devoted its research to the role of Internet within Attac. Other work is in hand of which a report of a student of the IEP of Paris devoted to the militants of Attac, a report with the IEP of Lyon like two theses, one, devoted to the constitution of an associative memory and the other with the role of Internet within association. This research could not be useful to us not being completed or too being shifted with respect to our subject. However, we had recourse to the study of Thomas Marty devoted to the sociology of the Toulouse militants. Marty (Thomas), Sociology of association Attac Toulouse  : Social positions with the cognitive standpoint. Sociological study by questionnaire and direct observation, memory for the diploma of the IEP of Toulouse, Tells (Claire) under the responsibility of, 1999/2000, p.155.

* ³² The three principal newspapers used are the Diplomatic World, which constitute a quasi official support of Attac, the World, which was selected because of its wealth of information, and Release which devoted many articles to association.

* ³³ For a history of national association and local group isérois, it is possible to refer to the appendix n°1, p. 5.

* ³⁴ First of all at the time of a weekend organized by Attac Isere in October 2000 at the Blue Hour (St Martin of Young stags-38), then during national bases of Attac in Saint-Brieuc (Coasts of Armor-22) October 27, and 28 2000 then with three general meetings of Attac Isere, two boards of directors as well as many meetings of commissions (groups «  information  », «  interpellation of the elected officials  », «  tax havens  », «  AGCS  ») in Attac Isere or with three permanences held in the coffee «  Our-injury  » of the downtown area of Grenoble.

* ³⁵ We thus took share with the distribution of leaflets «  Danone  » in front of a shopping center, at the day of action carried out against the tax havens, June 9, 2000, like with the mobilization of Genoa which took place in July 2001 at the time of the top of G8.

* ³⁶ It is about a space of discussion in which each member receives between 10 and 30 electronic mails per day, envoys generally by members on the topics of their choice. The topics of the discussions are very broad, that goes from the claims of Attac as the Tobin tax or the tax havens, with the actions carried out by Attac as at the time of the demonstrations of Nice or Genoa while passing by debates on the future prospects of Attac or the attempts at political recovery.

* ³⁷ Cf, appendix n°28, p.61.

* ³⁸ It is deplored that June corresponded to one period of intense militant activity for the group Attac Isere (actions on the tax havens, preparation of the National Commission of the Local Committees (CNCL), preparation of the mobilization of Genoa), it was thus difficult to organize talks.

* ³⁹ For a more detailed biographical presentation of the talks  : Cf, «  Biographical presentation of surveyed  », appendix n°25, p.53.

* ⁴⁰ Cf, «  Presentation of the course of the talks  », appendix n°25, p. 52.

* ⁴¹ Maintenance could not be completed since the person interviewed, being sick, wished to put an end to maintenance. It asked it besides twice, moreover it refused to answer several questions, either in a formal way, or while answering the question briefly. This person was not very motivated to accept maintenance during her unfolding  ; she is located in addition in phase of defection, which explains its attitude partly.