Catholic Activists and Consumer Reform in 20th Century France. From the Ligue sociale d’acheteurs to the Union féminine civique et sociale

"The starting point for this paper is an evaluation of the role of Catholics in French consumer associations in the 20th century. The author focuses on two associations where Catholic men and women were activists: the Ligue sociale d’acheteurs (Social Buyers’ League), before the First World War, and the Union féminine civique et sociale (Women’s Civic and Social Union), from the 1930s to the 1960s. In the first part, the paper investigates what was transmitted from one organisation to the other. Light is cast on an indirect legacy: home economics training. In the second part, the messages and practices of the two organisations are compared; emphasis is notably placed on the shared culture of social investigation. Lastly, the author focuses on the range of activist activities used by both organisations."