Suburbs and the Foreign Sociologist

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

This session will welcome Kazuki Murakami, who will offer a reflection on the conditions for producing sociological knowledge in French working-class neighbourhoods, based on his research into educational issues and family dynamics.

Presentation of the project

"Since 2009, I have been conducting research on educational issues in working-class neighborhoods in France, particularly those classified as “sensitive.” These areas are often associated with issues of segregation, immigration, and “urban violence,” as illustrated by the riots of June 2023, which revealed an increasingly tense situation. My work focuses particularly on the local issues facing families and the experiences of parents and young people. As a foreign researcher, conducting research in these disadvantaged, stigmatized, and sometimes closed communities raises methodological and relational ambivalences. Despite my efforts to integrate, a certain distance and curiosity persist in my interactions. However, once trust has been established, these elements become valuable levers for research.

The longevity of my relationships in the field (more than 15 years) and my successive academic career give me further legitimacy with local actors. Nevertheless, gaining recognition for the legitimacy of this research in the French academic field is an additional challenge. By sharing my field surveys and experiences, I hope to open up a discussion on the contributions and conditions for the production of specific knowledge by foreign researchers."

Speaker

Kazuki Murakami is currently a Senior Lecturer at Toyo University in Japan. He obtained his doctorate from Paris-Sorbonne University, and his research focuses on education in disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods in France. He also conducts projects on issues of social cohesion in large public housing developments in Japan. In addition, he is actively involved in Japanese associations supporting young immigrants.