Les émeutes urbaines à l’épreuve des situations locales

Abstract

This article relies on a ground investigation lead in the town and many working class districts of Saint-Denis in France. Recalling the possible different sociological interpretations of the urban riots of November 2005, it proposes first to point out how this investigation had been possible, to which obstacles it has been confronted and how we did our best to circumvent them. It recalls the main results of this investigation. Then it comes back on the classification and designation problems that are at issue among sociologists underlining the various dimensions of rioter dynamics.