We are in the early stages of our project, but we have already begun to work on a variety of different projects and publications. Publications Our first project publication is out! Emile Chabal, 'France's Identity Crisis' in Current History (Vol. 123, Issue 851, March 2024). This essay explores the development of identity politics in France. It discusses some of the difficulties of talking about identity in France, and it provides a historically grounded explanation for why manifestations of identity politics are so controversial in French public life. It also describes some of the ways that identity politics has nevertheless come to France in the form of progressive and conservative social movements, as well as specific public policies. Working papers and conference presentations Several project team members have organised a panel entitled 'Race, Identity and Political Mobilisation in France and Britain, c.1970-Present' at the Council for European Studies conference in Lyon in July 2024. The panel will include papers by Rachida Brahim, Emile Chabal, Alex Hensby, Tim Peace, and Angéline Escafré-Dublet. See the preliminary programme here. One of our UK-based researchers, Emilie Wiedemann, gave a talk in May 2024 at the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism on Jewish advocacy, anti-racism and the Durban Conference Against Racism. A recording of the livestream is available here. Our French researcher, Rachida Brahim, completed a literature review on identity politics and immigration in France in April 2024. Follow the link to read it (in French): Migrants et descendants de migrants nord-africains en France : représentations et mobilisations Public engagement Our French researcher, Rachida Brahim, recently discussed her research on racist crimes in a 4-part radio documentary on France Culture focused on the 1983 "Marche pour l'égalité et contre le racisme" and broadcast in December 2023. Bibliography We have been building an open-access Zotero bibliography of literature related to the history and sociology of identity politics, race, social movements and political culture in France and the UK. It will be regularly updated by members of the project team. You can access the bibliography here. FInd out more about the rationale and detailed aims of the project here. This article was published on 2024-06-19
