La liberté de récolter: seaweed, conflict and citizenship in coastal communities in Brittany during the Third Republic

Duteil, Chloe ORCID: 0009-0005-1962-941X (2025) La liberté de récolter: seaweed, conflict and citizenship in coastal communities in Brittany during the Third Republic FRENCH HISTORY. craf040-. ISSN 0269-1191, 1477-4542

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

PDF craf040.pdf - Open Access published version Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Abstract In Brittany, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, seaweed was more than just a fundamental element of coastal ecologies. It sustained livelihoods, contributed to the local economy and played a key role in the social and cultural life of littoral communities. As a resource precious to locals and the state alike, the question of who could or should have access to seaweed generated conflict. This article examines how different groups of seaweed users in Brittany employed the tools, institutions and values of the Third Republic to become active ‘seaweed citizens’. Not only does this reveal the diverse engagements locals had with seaweed, it also uncovers how encounters with seaweed were essential for their developing political voices. This article demonstrates the role of seaweed in shaping the agency of local Bretons and, on a larger scale, the relationship between environment and identity.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	4303 Historical Studies, 43 History, Heritage and Archaeology
Divisions:	Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of Histories, Languages and Cultures Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences > School of Histories, Languages and Cultures > History
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2025 10:41
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 20:09
DOI:	10.1093/fh/craf040
Open Access URL:	https://academic.oup.com/fh/advance-article/doi/10...
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3195462
Disclaimer:	The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate.