Madeline Kullgren ’21
Abstract
In France, it is the government’s view that communautarisme, or multiculturalism, in the public space acts as a threat to social integration and unity. With hopes to
strengthen national solidarity, the French government refuses to recognize minority communities. But does recognition of these groups actually jeopardize social cohesion? And why is the concept of communautarisme so controversial in France? In this paper, I shed light on the relationship between the French government and minority communities, with a focus on the transgender community. I discuss the PASTT association (Prevention, Action, Health, and Work for Transgender people) and how its mission relates to discourse surrounding communautarisme. Included in these discussions are interview responses from Camille Cabral, Director and Founder of PASTT, as well as Mathilde Letrône, Social Assistant of PASTT. Their insight helps put scholars’ work into context which enables this paper to explore the reality of minority communities in France by transcending the theoretical and polarizing nature of communautarisme.