Notes on ‘YOUTH RIOTS’ AND THE CONCEPT OF CONTENTIOUS POLITICS IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH (Stockholm Easter Riots 1948)

Here are five sociological academic publications addressing the theoretical frameworks and concepts relevant to understanding the Stockholm Easter Riots, each with a Harvard-style reference and a brief critical review outlining its main arguments:

1. Thompson, E.P. 1971, 'The Moral Economy of the English Crowd in the Eighteenth Century', Past & Present, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 76-136.
   Thompson's seminal essay introduces the concept of 'moral economy', arguing that popular protests, particularly food riots in 18th-century England, were not irrational outbursts but rational actions based on widely accepted, if unwritten, social norms regarding fair prices and community rights. These norms were vehemently defended against perceived market exploitation, asserting a collective right. The article critically moves beyond purely economic explanations, suggesting rioters were asserting a collective right. Its strength lies in providing a framework for understanding protests that lack explicit political demands by highlighting the inherent defense of traditional rights, directly challenging interpretations that dismiss such actions as simply unruly or criminal.

2. Tilly, C. 1995, 'Contentious Performances', Sociological Theory, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 272-286.
   Tilly's article refines the concepts of 'contentious performances' and 'repertoires of contention', emphasizing how collective actions evolve from limited, culturally specific forms into more standardized routines over time. He argues that groups draw from existing repertoires, adapting them to new circumstances, rather than inventing novel forms of protest each time. This provides an analytical lens for identifying systematic patterns in collective action, such as the recurring youth riots across different European cities. A critical aspect is its focus on the how of contention, offering a structural understanding of protest forms. However, it can sometimes implicitly downplay subjective motivations or “unarticulated claims” that Thompson's moral economy might illuminate.

3. Dikeç, M. 2007, 'Police and the right to the city', Urban Studies, vol. 44, no. 13, pp. 2501–2519.
   Dikeç, in this article, analyzes how policing practices in urban areas, particularly in marginalized neighborhoods, shape the 'right to the city' and can precipitate seemingly apolitical urban riots. He argues that these riots, often framed as simple disorder, are in fact expressions of spatial injustice and a struggle for recognition as legitimate urban actors, even when explicit political demands are absent. His work offers a critical perspective on how state authority's management of public space can fuel contention. This framework is crucial for understanding how clashes over public space, as seen in the Stockholm Easter Riots, might represent profound, albeit unarticulated, justice movements rather than mere unruly behavior.

4. Scott, J.C. 1990, Domination and the Arts of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts, Yale University Press, New Haven.
   Scott's Hidden Transcripts introduces the dual concepts of 'public transcript' (the open, official discourse between dominant and subordinate groups) and 'hidden transcript' (the critique of power articulated offstage, out of earshot). He posits that everyday forms of resistance, seemingly minor or non-political, can be potent expressions of dissent from hidden transcripts. This work critically helps to interpret actions like those of the Easter Rioters – who lacked overt political claims – as a form of “everyday resistance” or an expression of underlying grievances that might not surface in formal political demands. It challenges the assumption that visible, explicit political claims are the only valid forms of political action.

5. Tilly, C. 2004, 'Social Movements as Historically Specific Clusters of Political Performances', Mobilization: An International Quarterly, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1-14.
   Tilly's article 'Social Movements as Historically Specific Clusters of Political Performances' elaborates on how social movements are not simply spontaneous events but rather emerge from and utilize historically specific "repertoires" of collective action. He argues that the forms of protest (performances) available to actors are limited by historical context and change over time through interaction between authorities and challengers. This critical perspective explains why certain types of youth riots recurred across different European cities in the post-war era, suggesting they tapped into a shared, evolving repertoire. It highlights how understanding the “grammar” of collective action is crucial, but implies that novel or less formulaic forms of action might be harder to categorize, posing a challenge for historians of nascent movements or unarticulated dissent.