The campaign for bodily autonomy and belonging in Grenoble, France: resisting epistemic violence, media discourse and othering

Abstract

ABSTRACT Shared public spaces can be sites of struggle where cultural practices are positioned as ‘other’ in starkly different ways ranging from being celebrated to being stigmatised. This article presents a longitudinal case study of a campaign by a citizens' group (Alliance Citoyenne Grenoble) for changes to swimwear regulations within municipal pools in Grenoble, France. Ethnographic data reveals that the campaigners experienced forms of othering and epistemic violence through media and political discourse and lived experiences which directly impacted their sense of belonging. The study analyses those discourses and the strategies adopted by the group to resist forms of marginalisation.