Books & ideas

Through the Dusty Window of a Furnished Room

Jean-François Laé — 2025-11-18T08:30:00Z

Condensing the history of migration into the space of five buildings in the industrial suburb of Saint-Denis, Fabrice Langrognet gives voice to unexpected archives. These tell us much about the coexistence of multiple and diverse foreigners united by precarity and uncertainty.

One France Against the Other?

Éric Charmes — 2015-10-22T07:00:00Z

In Christophe Guilluy's view, there are two Frances: the urban France of towns and cities, where opportunities are considerable, and the peripheral France of villages, where populations feel ignored and abandoned by public policy. This contrast has caused a lot of ink to flow but is highly debatable and no doubt more ideological than scientific.

Why are people setting fire to libraries?

Denis Merklen & Numa Murard — 2013-11-07T11:30:32Z

Past outbreaks of unrest in the French banlieues have confirmed that libraries were a favourite target during riots. Sociologists Denis Merklen and Numa Murard have investigated the conflicted relationship that some young people have with written culture. They are sharing their results with us in this article.

Housing: Helping Those Who Really Need It

David Bornstein & Pauline Peretz — 2012-02-24T09:52:36Z

It is neither simple nor cheap for French people to find housing, especially if they are young. This fuels social inequalities and recent programs, with their emphasis on homeownership, have made things worse. For sociologist Fanny Bugeja, making it possible for everyone to have, but not necessarily to own, a home should be a national priority.

Gangs of Paris or Thereabout

Michel Kokoreff — 2012-01-31T08:47:07Z

Youth gangs are often discussed but rarely investigated. In an ethnographic study that examines families, schools, and the street, sociologist Marwan Mohammed reconstructs the principles according to which these groups are formed in the Paris region.

Neighborhoods and Cultural Differences

Michel Kokoreff — 2011-05-13T06:52:00Z

The sociologist Michel Kokoreff takes a fresh look at the controversy aroused by Hugues Lagrange's book Le déni des cultures. He urges us not to neglect the substance of the debate and analyzes the book's theses in detail before subjecting them to criticism.