Christelle BETOULIERES

An Ethnographic Analysis of the Impact of the Meritocratic Narrative in Senior Year Classrooms: An Individual and Collective Test

Abstract

For two centuries, the French education system has been shaped by a meritocratic narrative, established as a dogma, which tends to mold the beliefs and social representations of those involved in the education system around an ideal type of meritocratic student, through which educational practices (assessment, career guidance) are developed. While constructivist and critical sociological currents demonstrate at the macrosocial level how this meritocratic narrative shapes the school institution and, with it, its actors, an ethnographic analysis of this meritocratic narrative within everyday school practices (academic assessment, career guidance) could offer a complementary perspective. Indeed, drawing on the tools and theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism, the aim of this research is to place social interaction at the heart of the system—that is, the logical core of social activity: How do actors experience this meritocratic narrative in their daily lives? What interactions are constructed around the meritocratic narrative? Through a study based on interviews, participant observation, and surveys of high school stakeholders (students, teachers, and parents), an ethnographic analysis can help identify similarities and differences in the construction of these social representations surrounding this narrative. The aim of this ethnographic study is to understand how social actors perceive the world around them, and specifically here, the influence of the meritocratic narrative on their daily understanding of educational pathways and practices, as well as how the meritocratic narrative challenges both the individual and the community.

Thesis Advisor: Geneviève ZOIA