L'Espace Politique (Feb 2020)
Quand s’engager ancre et s’ancrer « engage » : les voies plurielles de l’autochtonie au sein des réseaux d’aide aux exilés en Ariège
Abstract
In this article, we test the hypothesis of the coexistence of several autochthonous regimes within the same territory – specifically that of Ariège Department in southwest France – based on an analysis of the link between “anchoring” and “engagement.” We focus in particular on a specific form of engagement: the mobilization of aid for refugees. However diverse – and conflictual – it may be, engagement reveals both the spatial extent of the networks of involved actors and a specific relationship to the place of the latter, often from “neo-Pyrenean” environments and having acquired over the course of their lives cultural, economic, and activism capital, which they reinvest in their actions. To gain a deeper understanding of these forms of territorialized mobilization, we rely on responses to an ongoing survey begun in 2016 within the framework of the French National Research Agency (ANR) CAMIGRI project. We utilize, in particular, 25 semi-structured interviews conducted with a variety of actors, as well as regular observations of the general meetings of associations supporting the welcoming of refugees. We first discuss the socio-demographic characteristics of this “neo-Pyrenean” population, followed by a reflection on the construction of an “anchoring” in light of the places (markets, grocery stores, community cafes) and actions mobilized by the actors of refugee aid networks. These first survey results allow to shed light on the qualities and specificities of such engagement through the lens of a field theory where solidarity, emancipation, and liberation define the dimensions of the “anchors” implemented by these neo-rural actors. Such dimensions become particularly visible in the markets where each neo-rural dweller can be introduced and recognized. Finally, we endeavor to highlight one possible interpretation of the political effects and sociological drivers of these anchors, which represent various forms of social ties within a rural area.
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