In person icon Relationship to Politics and Activism Among Racially and Religiously Minoritized Middle and Upper Classes: An Intersectional Perspective

Abstract

This panel explores the political attitudes and activism of racially and religiously minoritized middle- and upper-class groups in France through an intersectional lens (Crenshaw, 1991; Bilge & Collins, 2020). It examines the underexplored dynamics of how class privilege interacts with racial and religious minoritization to shape unique, often tension-filled political dispositions. While socio-economic factors such as educational attainment and occupational status significantly influence political engagement (Campbell et al., 1960; Gaxie, 1998), French research has primarily focused on racialized working-class populations, leaving a critical gap regarding racialized elites. The panel addresses three key questions: How do class resources enable or constrain different forms of activist engagement? How do minoritized elites balance institutional advocacy with community-based activism? How does class position influence strategies for challenging racial and religious discrimination? Drawing on mixed methods across four case studies, the panel examines how antagonistic social positions - being privileged in terms of class while experiencing racial and religious minoritization - create distinct patterns of political engagement and activism. Wang and Li analyze how highly educated Asian women in France politicize around intersecting racial and gender discrimination, revealing how class resources and migration generation shape distinct pathways of political consciousness-raising and everyday resistance strategies. Balazard and Kaya examine how educational capital, class, and gender mediate responses to discrimination in working-class neighborhoods, identifying varied trajectories from experiencing to fighting discrimination. Sellah challenges the "model minority" stereotype by analyzing protest participation among French Asians, demonstrating how education and exposure to discrimination jointly influence political mobilization. Druez investigates electoral behavior and political engagement among middle and upper-class French citizens of Maghrebi, Sub-Saharan and Turkish descent, revealing how class fraction and experiences of minoritization shaped divergent forms of political action in 2022. Together, these papers illuminate how class resources enable racialized individuals to engage in both institutional and extra-institutional activism while navigating the tensions between professional integration and radical critique. The panel advances intersectional approaches to activism by examining how privileged and minoritized positions combine to produce specific forms of political engagement. It contributes to ongoing debates about the role of class in racial justice movements and the political strategies available to minoritized individuals who achieve upward mobility. Bibliographie Campbell, Angus, Philip E. Converse, Warren E. Miller, et Donald E. Stokes. 1960. The American Voter. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. Collins, Patricia Hill, et Sirma Bilge. 2020. Intersectionality. 2nd edition. Polity. Crenshaw, Kimberle. 1991. « Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color ». Stanford Law Review 43 (6). Collins, Patricia Hill, et Sirma Bilge. 2020. Intersectionality. 2nd edition. Polity. Crenshaw, Kimberle. 1991. « Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color ». Stanford Law Review 43 (6): 1241‑99.

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