THE QUESTION OF SO-CALLED SENSITIVE NEIGHBORHOODS FROM A "GHETTO" PERSPECTIVE: SOCIOLOGICAL DEBATES

In this article, we discuss the concept of "ghetto" and its use in the sociological research in France in order to characterize the evolution of some popular housing areas. We propose a critical perspective of the main currents of sociological literature, including those that refer to a comparative analysis with the American ghetto. In this perspective, we examine the debates and issues by ordering them around three main axes. The first examines the nature of segregation mechanisms and its dimensions: "social," "urban" and "ethnic," to evaluate the relevance of applying the term "ghetto." The second concerns the consequences of segregation on the lifestyles and types of social relationship at work. The third analyzes the place and role of public interventions in the segregation's dynamics. Ultimately, the concept of "ghetto" poses many more problems than it solves. Thus, it focuses on extreme situations and destroys a heterogeneous and dynamic reality, while other scientific works are more attentive to the contrasts and to the possibilities of initiative and of constructing life courses. These works invite to renew the questions about the term "ghetto."