"French Suburbs": a New Problem or a New Approach to Social Exclusion? GSPE Working Paper 1/27/2009

At the end of 1980s, the question of "quartiers sensibles" (at-risk neighborhoods) started being very publicized in France. It was not only the subject of many front page articles, but also the target of a new public policy aimed at promoting urban and social development in about 500 neighborhoods (Politique de la ville). I argue that such focalization on "quartiers sensibles" does not only result from increasing problems such as unemployment, poverty or juvenile delinquency. It also represents a major change in public policy. Focusing on "quartiers sensibles" directly contributed to the restructuring of the French Welfare State by centering its action on specific urban spaces rather than national territory, and on social links rather than economic reality, contrary to what Welfare State claimed to do during the Fordist period. The outbreak of November 2005 riots is inextricably bound up to the way some problems (like lack of communication and weakening social links) have been associated to the question of "quartiers sensibles" whereas the French model of integration, based on equality between abstract citizens, let some others (like ethnic discrimination) unquestioned

"French Suburbs": A New Problem or a New Approach to Social Exclusion? CES Working Papers Series 160, 2008

At the end of 1980s, the question of "quartiers sensibles" (at-risk neighborhoods) started to be very publicized in France. It was not only the subject of many front-page articles, but also the target of a new public policy aimed at promoting urban and social development in about 500 neighborhoods (Politique de la ville). I argue that such a focus on "quartiers sensibles" does not only result from increasing problems such as unemployment, poverty or juvenile delinquency; it also represents a major change in public policy. Focusing on "quartiers sensibles" directly contributed to the restructuring of the French welfare state by centering its action on specific urban spaces rather than national territory, and on social links rather than economic reality, contrary to what the welfate state claimed to do during the Fordist period. The outbreak of riots in November 2005 is inextricably bound up with the way some problems (like lack of communication and weakening social links) have been associated with the question of "quartiers sensibles" whereas the French model of integration, based on equality among abstract citizens, left some others (like ethnic discrimination) unquestioned

Working together? Parent and local authority views on the process of obtaining appropriate educational provision for children with autism spectrum disorders

Background: There is general agreement across all interested parties that a process of working together is the best way to determine which school or educational setting is right for an individual child with autism spectrum disorder. In the UK, families and local authorities both desire a constructive working relationship and see this as the best means by which to reach an agreement to determine where a child should be educated. It has been shown in published works 1 1. Batten and colleagues (Make schools make sense. Autism and education: the reality for families today; London: The National Autistic Society, 2006). View all notes that a constructive working relationship is not always achieved. Purpose: This small-scale study aims to explore the views of both parents and local authorities, focussing on how both parties perceive and experience the process of determining educational provision for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) within an English context. Sample, design and method: Parental opinion was gathered through the use of a questionnaire with closed and open responses. The questionnaire was distributed to two national charities, two local charities and 16 specialist schools, which offered the questionnaire to parents of children with ASD, resulting in an opportunity sample of 738 returned surveys. The views of local authority personnel from five local authorities were gathered through the use of semi-structured interviews. Data analyses included quantitative analysis of the closed response questionnaire items, and theme-based qualitative analysis of the open responses and interviews with local authority personnel. Results: In the majority of cases, parents in the survey obtained their first choice placement for their child. Despite this positive outcome, survey data indicated that parents found the process bureaucratic, stressful and time consuming. Parents tended to perceive alternative placement suggestions as financially motivated rather than in the best interests of the child. Interviews with local authority personnel showed an awareness of these concerns and the complex considerations involved in determining what is best for an individual child. Conclusions: This small-scale study highlights the need for more effective communication between parents of children with ASDs and local authority personnel at all stages of the proces

Amelia Earhart - A Study in Courage, Daring and Foolhardiness

Amelia Earhart, disappeared while almost completing an around-the-world flight. This was just one of her many daring adventures. Hear the story of her relatively short, but dynamic aviation career from Gene Tissot, whose father was Amelia’s mechanic during her Hawaii to California flight in 1935. Admiral Tissot knows the pacific well as a decorated combat pilot in Korea & Vietnam. He became the third naval aviator to achieve 1000 arrested carrier landings, without an accident over 20 years, flying 11 different aircraft types

5. Protestantisme, montagne et environnement: une relation privilégiée?

La relation entre protestantisme et environnement a fait l’objet de vives controverses tant historiques que théologiques. Notre article vise à savoir comment des voyageurs protestants – ou déclarés comme tels – perçoivent, au cours de leurs pérégrinations, la nature qu’ils traversent. Que disent-ils de la nature là où elle est, là où ils la parcourent, la voient, la sentent et non seulement dans ce qui les est transmis par des textes sacrés ou savants? Nous nous servirons à cet égard de deux textes complètement différents par leur nature, le statut de leur auteur, les motivations qui les animent et les lieux décrits. Tout les oppose sauf deux éléments, la période qui les voit être écrits et l’origine protestante de leur auteur. Le premier, rédigé en 1865 par Marc Dufour, a pour cadre les Alpes suisses et le second, écrit sept ans plus tard en 1872 par George Monro Grant, les Montagnes Rocheuses canadiennes. Ils s’inscrivent tous les deux dans un moment charnière de cette « invention de la montagne » voit en Suisse l’émergence d’une véritable « industrialisation du tourisme » et au Canada l’affirmation d’un sentiment national qui passe par l’intégration d’un vaste territoire dans le même Etat. Ces contextes expliquent les raisons qui poussent leurs auteurs à s’affronter à la montagne, le loisir pour Dufour et la politique pour Grant