In_equality Colloquium - “Suspect Citizenship“
Time
Tuesday, 11. July 2023
11:45 - 13:15
Location
Y 213 & online
Organizer
Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality"
Speaker:
Jean Beaman (UC Santa Barbara)
This event is part of an event series „In_equality Colloquium“.
“Suspect Citizenship“
The In_equality Colloquium takes place on Tuesdays at 11:45 in Room Y213 and online. Find the full program and participation information, including registration for updates on participating online, here.
Abstract: Incidents of state violence and activism against that violence illustrate the continuing significance of race and the persistence of white supremacy in France, the United States, and worldwide. Based on past and current ethnographic research and interviews with ethnic minorities in the Parisian metropolitan region, this talk argues that, despite France’s colorblind and Republican ethos, France’s “visible minorities” function under a “suspect citizenship” in which their full societal belonging is never granted. I focus on the growing problem of state violence against ethnic minorities which reveals how France is creating a “bright boundary” (Alba 2005) between whites and non-whites, furthering disparate outcomes based on race and ethnic origin. By considering the multifaceted dimensions of citizenship and belonging in France, I demonstrate the limitations of full societal inclusion for France’s non-white denizens and how French Republicanism continues to mark, rather than erase, racial and ethnic distinctions.
