ABSTRACT
Even though our everyday lives are imbued with political meaning, politics is commonly alluded to with reference to governmental affairs, political figures and parties, elections, and voting. In its broadest acceptation, political behaviour refers to any action that participates (directly or indirectly) in the maintenance or the transformation of a given social system. Accordingly, political behaviour can take a vast array of forms. While voting in local or national elections or joining a public protest march are obvious examples of explicit political behaviour, they constitute only the easily discernible tip of the iceberg. Below the surface, in their everyday lives, people engage in a variety of practices that can be considered “banal” in the sense of Billig (1995): normally unspectacular, often dispassionate, but typically essential for the constant spinning and respinning of a web of political beliefs on the backdrop of which political action becomes meaningful and political struggle appears worthwhile. Choosing a newspaper at the kiosk, talking with neighbours about yesterday’s TV program, posting a “like” in the social media, but also sanctioning an employee, buying certain types of goods, or using public transportation are but a few examples of the diverse activities that can be coloured by inconspicuous political statements communicated through words, deeds, or gestures. This chapter focuses on the processes through which people share (or refrain from sharing) their political stances in everyday life and how these processes generate fluid political climates that facilitate or hinder explicit political behaviours such as voting or protesting.
