Description du sujet de thèse

The international context, marked by an increasing polarization of public debate and by more frequent and openly acknowledged violations of international law, is experienced differently by young people around the world. While some turn away from political issues, preferring to focus on entering the job market, their studies, or their personal lives, others choose to get involved to denounce and fight what they perceive as injustices. This is notably the case for activists advocating for the rights of Indigenous and/or colonized communities, for LGBTQI+ causes, or for climate justice. The ethnic, religious, or gender identities of those who mobilize can thus become (re)politicized, turning into integral components of the struggle and making activist groups both spaces of political claim and specific forms of socialization, within which a segment of youth seeks to reimagine community.

The aim of the doctoral research will be to examine justice movements (social, international, climate, etc.) that are – at least in part – based on the national, ethnic, religious, and/or gender identity of their members and that include a significant proportion of young people (under the age of 30). The research will be based on a comparison between a U.S. case study and a French case study. These cases will be chosen for their minority and “counter-intuitive” nature (e.g., young Jewish activists supporting the Palestinian cause; young Catholics engaged in women's rights advocacy, etc.), and will be characterized by contradictory injunctions, between conservative socialization and the defense of coexistence and common goods (gender equality, questioning of borders, sharing of natural resources, etc.).

The doctoral candidate will carry out multi-month fieldwork in both the United States and France, conducting in-depth biographical interviews and participant observation within the mobilized collectives. This ethnographic work will be supplemented by the analysis of written sources from social networks and media.

The candidate will be expected to present the progress of their work at research seminars and academic events and will be encouraged to submit articles developing specific aspects of their research.

We are seeking a candidate who holds a Master's degree (or equivalent) in sociology, political science, anthropology, or another discipline in the social sciences or humanities. The recruited person must be skilled in fieldwork (interviews, observations, etc.) and able to conduct research in both French and English. Strong analytical and writing skills are required, as well as an excellent knowledge of the academic literature related to the research topic.

Contexte de travail

Affiliated with the CENS (UMR 6025), a joint research unit under the dual supervision of Nantes University and the CNRS, the selected candidate will carry out their doctoral research under the co-supervision of Sophie Orange (Professor of Sociology, IUF 2018–2023) and Karine Lamarche (CNRS Researcher). The CENS is located on a campus of Nantes University.

Contraintes et risques

The selected candidate will be required to carry out part of their fieldwork in the United States.