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Assimilation Trajectories, Identity Dynamics, and Boundary Work of French Antilleans, West Africans, and Their Children in Paris

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Assimilation Trajectories, Identity Dynamics, and Boundary Work of French Antilleans, West Africans, and Their Children in Paris Assimilation Trajectories, Identity Dynamics, and Boundary Work of French Antilleans, West Africans, and their Children in Paris by Biorn Ivemark A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SOCIOLOGY) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) August 2017 © Biorn Ivemark, 2017 Abstract This study compares the assimilation trajectories, identity dynamics and boundary work of French Antilleans, West Africans and their descendants in the Paris region. While previous studies have focused on the experiences of French Antilleans and sub-Saharan Africans separately or those of Blacks in France as a whole, this study engages in a more minute comparison of the experiences of West African immigrants and French Antilleans across two generations in mainland France. This comparison primarily aims to determine the role of the divergent civic, cultural and religious backgrounds of these groups alongside their largely shared racial characteristics in how they assimilate to French society across two generations. These variables are of particular interest given the salience of civic and cultural distinctions in France, while racial distinctions are notoriously downplayed. The main theoretical goal of the study is to assess the usefulness of segmented assimilation theory in accounting for the various assimilation outcomes of these groups. Drawing on 55 in-depth interviews complemented with wide-ranging statistical data, I explore the impact of cultural, religious and racial factors on the intergenerational educational and professional trajectories of both populations, analyze how these factors influence their identification patterns and assess how members of these groups seek to negotiate the various symbolic boundaries that they come up against, both in their relations to each other and to the majority population. The results suggest that French Antilleans have more favourable educational and professional outcomes than West Africans. Despite the importance of racial barriers for both groups, the findings also underscore the salience of cultural and religious forces as well as the identification dynamics and boundary work that both groups engage in. While some segmented assimilation mechanisms remain valid in the French case, the study also demonstrates the importance of empirically identifying societally specific assimilation barriers and cultural segments for the theory to retain its usefulness in other national contexts. ii Lay Summary While previous studies have focused on French Antilleans, sub-Saharan Africans or Blacks in France in general, this study seeks to compare more specifically the challenges faced by West Africans, French Antilleans and their children born in Paris in becoming part of French society. A key goal is to assess the role that the distinct civic, cultural and religious backgrounds of these populations play compared to their often similar racial characteristics. This is particularly interesting to examine in France, given that civic and cultural distinctions are often put forward in daily life while racial distinctions are routinely downplayed. Drawing on 55 in-depth interviews and wide-ranging statistical data, I compare the educational and professional attainment of both migrant groups and their children. I then analyze how their differences and similarities affect their identities and the way they interact with each other and the broader society. iii Preface This dissertation is the original, unpublished, independent work by the author. The qualitative fieldwork of the study was approved by the UBC Ethics Board Certificate Number H11-01322. iv Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................... ii Lay Summary ............................................................................................................................................................. iii Preface ...................................................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................................ viii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................................................... x 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 I. Background and Rationale ................................................................................................................................. 3 Republican Universalism, Colour-Blindness, and Secularism ............................................................................................... 3 West Africans and French Antilleans ................................................................................................................................... 5 Intergenerational Assimilation Patterns .............................................................................................................................. 7 Black Identities and Boundaries ........................................................................................................................................... 8 II. Research Questions and Outline ...................................................................................................................... 10 Research Questions ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 Outline of the Study ........................................................................................................................................................... 11 PART ONE FRAMING THE STUDY....................................................................................................................... 13 2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 14 I. Historical Perspective on Immigration and Assimilation in France................................................................... 14 Immigration: From Europeans to Non-Europeans ............................................................................................................. 14 Assimilation: From 'Our Ancestors, the Gauls' to Identity Politics ..................................................................................... 16 Scholarship: From the Social to the Racial Problem? ......................................................................................................... 18 II. Colonial Expansion and the Creation of an African Diaspora in the Americas ................................................ 19 From Plantation Colonies to Overseas Departments ......................................................................................................... 20 West Africa before European Contact ............................................................................................................................... 23 French Penetration of West Africa ..................................................................................................................................... 23 After Independence: Labour Migration and Family Reunification ..................................................................................... 26 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................................ 28 I. Immigrant Incorporation .................................................................................................................................. 28 From Classical to Segmented Assimilation Theory ............................................................................................................. 28 New Immigrants, New Circumstances ............................................................................................................................... 30 Segmenting Forces ............................................................................................................................................................. 31 Criticisms and Limitations .................................................................................................................................................. 32 Segmented Assimilation in France? ................................................................................................................................... 34 An Integrated Theoretical Perspective ............................................................................................................................... 35 II. Racial and Ethnic Identities and Boundaries...................................................................................................
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