At the Border

The theme of borders has a particular resonance in French Studies. For decades, France has been considered as one of the world's first fully-formed nation-states, providing a model of state-centred modernity. Events in recent years, however, have suggested some of the inadequacies of the French model. Aspects such as the long-term presence in France of a population originating in North Africa, the growth of Islam as France's second biggest religion, the development of anti-centralist regionalist movements, debates about sexual and social identities, and the gradual decay of the prestige and the simple effectiveness of the French state have all resulted in a questioning of the nature of French identity. These debates are expressed, in turn, by a growing concern about what constitutes "mainstream France", and by which borders this entity is to be framed. Through a discussion of border identities, this book presents a balance-sheet of key developments in modern French society and culture in the context of globalization. It seeks to re-define and re-consider the notion of the border in respect of the identification of a variety of visible and invisible 'border' situations: geographical, social, cultural and sexual, which separate, classify and, sometimes, unify diverse populations.