Une critique furtive de l’État social

Une perspective théorique pour comprendre le non-recours raisonné aux prestations sociales

Abstract

In this paper, we start from a blind spot of the construction of social problems theory: the resistance of potential audiences to the institutionalized definition of problems and of their solutions. First, we show the hegemonic character of social rights positivity for their potential audiences. Second, we examine non take-up of social rights research to show that it is not always, or not only due to administrative dysfunctions, lack of social skills or processes of social stigmatization: it can be a reaction to state power. This type of non take-up is based on a “furtive” critic of the institutionalized definition of problems and of their solutions because of the hegemonic nature of social rights positivity. To study it, we propose to mobilize tools inspired by subaltern, postcolonial and decolonial anthropological perspectives.