The Youth of the French Suburbs: From Violence to Participation

Abstract

This article is based on the disturbances that the Parisian outskirts experienced in the autumn of 2005. More than information about the events it is a reflection on the place of the youth of these peripheral districts and of the political recognition that is attributed to them. After a brief synthesis of the events and the context in which they arise, the authors of this article note the political silence of these young people. In order to understand the political place of youth in a process of interaction with territorial leaders, the authors explain the results of an action research carried out with young members of the local youth council. This action research allowed updating topics such as territory, school, discrimination, etc. Thus, the article invites you to listen to the words of the youth. The ultimate goal of this type of investigative approach is the conversion of the experience of stigmatized populations into political words audible by local and national officials.