Limites et effets de levier de la recherche en sciences humaines dans le combat contre le mal-logement

Abstract

In the fight against the scourge of poor housing conditions in France, the input of social sciences is decisive for several reasons. It helps identify exclusion processes, assess public policies and go beyond an often-simplistic interpretation of the forces at stake. Showing how social, economic and political factors come into play in the housing crisis, social sciences demonstrate how homelessness and the so-called “suburban crisis” are linked to ill-adapted housing policies led throughout the past two decades. The combination of research and associative work is helpful and links between the two should be developed. However, this combination may be difficult to pursue because of different priorities, action timings, and because of the opposition between the need to simplify messages on the one hand, and the fear of losing the analyses’ accuracy on the other.

Keywords

• exclusion
• poor housing
• committed sociology
• associations
• public policies evaluation