Young People and Politics in France and Beyond

Transformations in the relationships between young people and politics are obvious in all Western democracies. Engagement in traditional political institutions has declined in recent decades, leading to what some have seen as a crisis in citizenship. What are the most characteristic transformations towards politics and how could we explain them? What is so special about young people’s politics in all established democracies?
The course will explore the different aspects of politicization: level of interest, involvement, voting, political participation, partisan affiliation, political choices, and also demonstrations and protest. It will study the emergence of a new model of citizenship within the young generations compared to their elders. Social and political cleavages which exist don’t have the same impact on all categories. There is a clear division between young people with and without educational background and qualifications and their political choices are not the same.
More broadly, this course will give many clues to better understand politics in France and the French society today, working with news, surveys, and a wide diversity of research and knowledge from the social sciences. More specifically this year it will be the occasion to comment and to study the 2017 French Presidential Election.

Required Texts: Coursepack will be available for purchase at the College bookstore