Christelle BETOULIERES

Ethnographic analysis of the scope of the meritocratic narrative in the final year of high school: an individual and collective test

Summary

For two centuries, the French education system has been permeated by a meritocratic narrative, established as a dogma, which tends to shape the beliefs and social representations of those involved in the education system around an ideal type of meritocratic student, through which school practices (assessment, career guidance) are developed. While constructivist and critical sociology demonstrate at the macro-social level how this meritocratic narrative shapes the educational institution and its stakeholders, an ethnographic analysis of this meritocratic narrative in everyday school practices (academic assessment, career guidance) could provide another complementary perspective. Indeed, drawing on the tools and theoretical arsenal of symbolic interactionism, the aim of this research is to place social interaction back at the heart of the system, i.e., the logical atom of social activity: How do actors experience this meritocratic narrative on a daily basis? What interactions are built around the meritocratic narrative? Using a study based on interviews, participant observation, and a survey of high school actors (students, teachers, parents), an ethnographic analysis can help to identify similarities and differences in the construction of these social representations around this narrative. The aim of this ethnographic study is to understand the actors' conception of the social world around them, and in particular the influence of the meritocratic narrative on their understanding of everyday school life and practices, but also how the meritocratic narrative challenges individuals and the community.

Thesis Supervisor: Geneviève ZOIA