Social integration and local sport in France. An example of public intervention in Paris

The use of sports as social and cultural integration of young people living in deprived urban areas of France has been praised by the political arena as a "social lift". Since the eighties, the violent riots in the suburbs of large cities have fostered prejudice towards a young sector of the society with different cultural backgrounds, therefore linking immigration to unlawfulness. In response, a sports policy of social inclusion was developed, evolving from a model of prevention and occupation of leisure time towards one of education and proximity. Paris has been the field of study selected with a double aim: to analyse the discourse that supports municipal policies and to verify their implementation through ongoing services. The conclusions of this article contribute to the discussion of the use of sports in culturally diverse societies as a social-intervention tool.