IDENTITY DYNAMICS IN FRANCE

A FIELD ACTIVITY REPORT

by Karim Bouhassoun, ANELD Organization

Youth in Action - 4th Nov. 2011Strasbourg

IMMIGRATION AND INCLUSION : DEFINITIONS

Foreigner : foreign-born resident in France

Immigrant : foreign-born with French nationality

Descendant : parents (children, grandchildren ...) of foreigners and immigrants with French nationality

Sub-Saharan Africa : French-speaking Africa

A SHORT HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION IN FRANCE

An old phenomenon : from the 18 th century to the present

An overview of today 15,4 M people with a foreign background (25%, over 63 M)

5,1 M immigrants 6,5 M direct descendants of immigrants 3,6 M foreigners

Immigrants are mainly of African origin In 2008, of 11,6 M people composed of immigrants (5,1 millions) and

direct descendants (6,5 millions), or 19 % of the population, 5.5 M are from Europe and 4 M from North Africa

Legal immigration (2010) is about 180 000 new migrants a year, of which 135 000 outside the European Union

Source : Eurostat, INED, INSEE

FRENCH RESIDENCY BY COUNTRY OF NATIONALITY - 2006

FRENCH SECULARISM AND ETHNICITY

Republican principles : freedom, equality, fraternity, secularism (added in 1905) and a certain vision of the social contract

Citizenship

French society has become increasingly sensitive to the debate on integration, citizenship and Islam

integration policies based on an absolute defense of republican principles are not well received by minorities

“the wearing of signs or dress by which pupils overtly manifest a religious affiliation is prohibited.” Law on religious symbols in public schools, 2004

"The school programs recognize in particular the positive role of the French presence overseas, notably in North Africa” Law on recognition of the

Nation, 2005

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION – NON EUROPEANS EMPLOYMENT RATE

Source : INED

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG DESCENDANTS OF IMMIGRANTS

Source : INED

PROPORTION OF PEOPLE WHO REPORTED EXPERIENCINGDISCRIMINATION IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS

Source : INED

THE FRENCH PARADOX

Source : INED

WHICH OF THESE SENTENCES IS CLOSEST TO WHAT YOU THINK?

Source : INED

« LES BANLIEUES  » : FROM RIOTS TO HOPE

disadvantaged suburbs: urban areas located around the central city

What are the features or criteria ?

Geography Economy Sociology Culture Ethnicity Psychology ? …

« LES BANLIEUES  » : THE EXAMPLE OF SEINE-SAINT-DENIS

« LES BANLIEUES  » : 2005 - SOCIAL OR ETHNIC RIOTS ?

What happened ?

Why ?

Geography Economy Sociology Culture Ethnicity Psychology ? …

« LES BANLIEUES  » : THE EXAMPLE OF SEINE-SAINT-DENIS

« LES BANLIEUES  » : THE EXAMPLE OF SEINE-SAINT-DENIS

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION

Statements on cultural diversity and the construction of identity

If you help a foreigner, the social initiatives you lead must take cultural difference as a fact

Social integration initiatives (towards the nationals) are normality, provided that you help someone who is poor and marginalized, not a “foreigner”

For second generation immigrants inclusion : the most important feature is self-esteem (Mixity = curiosity, Curiosity = openness, Openness = enrichment, Enrichment = positive self-esteem)

STATE INCLUSION POLICIES IN FRANCE

“Défenseur des droits”, the French Ombudsman,

a catch-all institution

The Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity

and co-development

“Haut Conseil à l’intégration” (a ‘forum for reflection and proposals’)

(Website down)

My nephew, Nadir

“Un Islam de France”… what about secularism ???

REVIEW OF FIELD ACTIVITIES (1): YOUTH PARTICIPATION TO CULTURE

“La fontaine aux images” and “360 Degrés Sud”

Clichy-sous-Bois : epicenter of the riots Involving young people into cultural programmes Exporting culture in the blocks

Lessons learned discovering a new culture is not abandoning your culture

culture, while being a subject of leisure and work, has a strong and cohesive educational function

For the youth : a need to conquer and hold strong benchmarks in areas where Republican imagery is rejected

REVIEW OF FIELD ACTIVITIES (2): YOUTH POLITICAL INVOLVMENT

Observation : Public policy towards immigrants effectiveness needs new legitimacy Poor and excluded immigrants lack political representation Social policy, not communitarianism

Actions : International, national and regional coordination of activism Support for candidates from cultural diversity

Lessons learned Marginalization transformed into inclusion Appropriation of the public space The backbones of immigrants inclusion policies are immigrants themselves

CONCLUSION AND DEBATE

Bet !!!

Importance of local initiatives and long term initiatives

Involve families

Free youth autonomy

No universal rule on the identity construction dynamics, but psychological obstacles to identify and overcome