women and age categories less than 25 years

The debate generated by the courageous words of Yazid Sabeg on the need for ethnic statistics with many safeguards shows how the subject is difficult: each advanced on this dimension raises the outcry and, for a step forward, seems to observe two steps back.

To frame the debate, let's start by giving in part due to the more enlightened opponents: they think that it already has in many of investigations, information about the nationality of the parents, or grandparents, as well as given names or names, that allow to approach the phenomenon of discrimination. Why therefore add arbitrary or self-reported racial categories The danger would be double: on the one hand, any lighting changes the reality that it is supposed to measure and gives more importance to the concept of racial categories in this case. However should prefer the absolute uncertainty over the uncertainty of a measure leading to the modification of reality

On the other hand, self-reporting, essential to not force people to return to categories they do not want led de facto to a substantial statistical bias: those of the ethno-racial minorities who are well inserted socially and professionally will be less inclined to claim these groups, while those who are out of good jobs and career trajectories there will be some members of minorities. There will be strong differences in unemployment between ethno thus constituted, which objectively surestimeront the reality of differences: even if the reality itself is very alarming, will it service to the debate with biased figures

Yet, should get out of these objections cropping the goals of ethnic statistics, because there are actually two very distinct issues.

The first is a scientific, social science issue: must be able to get rich and diverse data for what is the degree of precision or vagueness of the variables used by default by researchers: first name, the name, the nationality of the parents or grandparents, in addition to the fact that these variables are not always present in social surveysapproximations are a des assez imparfaites quite imperfect. The issue of fire investigation (trajectories and origins), TEO designed among others by the researcher Patrick Simon, was precisely to establish scientifically the quality and the gaps of these variables "proxy", certainly more politically correct in the land of Republican unity, but which is not precisely if they are adapted to all dimensions of discrimination. Although the investigation was buried after the decision of the Constitutional Council of November 15, 2007, need to imagine an alternative, so simply fit the scientific debate.

The second issue is societal. We are in a society to grow strongly and quickly, in all its layers, on the question of discrimination, and simply accept the other, whatever it is. Any person who lived in the Canada or Sweden is struck by the extraordinary contrast between the quality of the reception to "the other" in these two countries and the symbolic violence of the report in France. One of the manifestations of this report to the other is the lack of interest relative to the fact that, according to the Centre for studies and research on qualifications (ranging), the unemployment rate of the children in one of the parents was born in the Maghreb is two times higher than children whose both parents are French. Equal degree, the ratio is still 1.5 to 1.6. However, currently, public debate on employment is structured around iconic dismissals of large companies, generally of white employees and middle-aged and whose social difficulties are strong but to put in relation to the very high levels of exclusion and sense of injustice of the populations of immigration even when they are graduates.

The only solution to get out of this indifference, and convince employers and homeowners to let their chance to those who come to them, is to bludgeon the figures of the inequalities between groups. A very simple example concerns the unemployment statistics provided monthly by the Ministry of labour: these statistics detail the unemployment of men, women and age categories (less than 25 years, seniors). They are widely covered in the press. The day which will be communicated monthly statistics of unemployment of foreigners, foreign children and grandchildren of foreigner according to relevant categories designated by a Scientific Council, then it will become a political subject: can interpellate the public power in him asking what he did to resorption of the ethno-racial tensions and discrimination. To do this, no need for ethnic statistics within the meaning of the TEO investigation: it is sufficient to "Republican" data on the nationality of the parents and grandparents. It is a question of political will to apply to public services for employment of more detailed information to deal with this problem.

Finally, if the origins of the parents and grandparents still statistically apprehend a large part of the problem of integration, more time will be, less information will be relevant, with the third and fourth generations, or inequalities between groups of colour in the DOM. It will be, what we want, term go beyond. As her mentor now: the computing law and liberties of 1978 was a great Act, it is time to invent the great law of the 21st century will help combat discrimination effectively.