Limited Diversity. Young People from the Working Classes and Citizenship Education in “Politique de la ville” Areas

 This article is based on the findings of a sociological inquiry in a Parisian area which formed part of the priority geographic areas of the “Politique de la ville”. The citizenship education events which were organized as part of this initiative revealed that for young people they counted both as recognition and as denying their diversity. The interactions observed between staff, those from local associations, elected officials and police officers showed that this contradiction is related to the coexistence of diversity as a set of differentiated characteristics and social practices which are confirmed and reinforced by the associations ( “social diversity”), as well as being a political issue which is mobilized and shaped by local authorities ( “political diversity”). On the basis of their area of residence and their skin colour, “political diversity” assigns young people from the working classes to a “negative” grouping.