L’économie morale des banlieusards: Aux origines de la ‘‘crise des transports’’ dans la France des années 1970

In 1970, the rebellion of the “banlieusards” – suburban commuters in the Paris region – was sparked by an increase in the price of metro tickets. The movement ultimately succeeded in reversing an attempt by the Chaban-Delmas-led government to make public transportation users pay a greater proportion of the costs. The transportation users movement was responsible for such significant developments as the creation of the “carte orange” (an unlimited transportation pass) and the reintroduction of trams. This article explains the origins of the 1970 movement by drawing on Edward P. Thompson’s concept of moral economy. How was this movement linked to a gender- and class-differentiated ‘transportation crisis’ created by urban sprawl and far-flung suburbs?