Suchergebnisse

The emergence of the theme of diversity in the 2000s changed the manner in which debates were framed. Put in motion many years ago in research on interethnic relations, and initially met with a degree of indifference, the notion has benefitted from being put on the agenda of the struggle against discrimination. This has allowed the diversity theme to impose itself first on the world of business, then on the assembly of social sectors and political discourse. Missing from the republican program, ethnicity or "cultural difference" constitutes an illegitimate category. As a determinant of political identity, collective representation has long held such concepts at a distance, and in the field of French politics, it has remained an afterthought until very recently. In this context, it is surprising that the debate over diversity has found itself moved into the domain of political life so rapidly. Following a series of elections (presidential, parliamentary, municipal), including the Obama episode, the issue of diversity in political representation in France has raised questions regarding the presence of "visible minorities" among party leaders and elected officials. This article offers a speculative reflection arising from field research conducted in fall 2008, with different actors mobilized around the subject of "diversity in politics." The research indicated that there has been a double change in the conceptual structure: use of the vocabulary of diversity has overcome the difficulties of integration in foreign politics based on suffrage, and through representation, it has entered the debate on the recognition of "visible minorities" in the heart of the Republic. Adapted from the source document.