Emotions, Identity and Repression: Anarchist Activism in Franco’s Spain

Abstract

Previous research has shown that in highly repressive contexts, the
emergence and continuity of activism cannot be understood without
considering the role of strong subjective, affective and emotional elements.
Building on this approach, this article offers a longitudinal analysis
of the activism of the fi rst generation of clandestine anarchists under
Franco’s dictatorship (1939-1975). The results point towards a combination
of three factors that help explain the maintenance of anarchist
activism. These are: i) the role of hope in the perception of opportunities
for mobilization; ii) the strategic mobilization of indignation in the
discourse directed at potential supporters and participants; and iii) the
strengthening of the ideological identifi cation with the movement due,
paradoxically, to the effects of repression. The sources used include a
range of archival material as well as activists’ memoirs.