Quartiers populaires : une histoire de clichés

A tour of France's large housing estates, each telling a story of the suburbs, of France itself, and of integration, is what sociologist Renaud Epstein offers in his book "On est bien arrivé" (Nouvel Attila, 2021). He does so using a rich and original sociological resource: postcards. This approach allows him to recount this urban development saga from a human perspective, rather than solely from the point of view of those in power. In short, it's about moving beyond the narrative of the "dominant" class. Since discovering his first postcard in Roubaix in 1994, Renaud Epstein has been collecting these idealized images meant to promote and market these new towns. These images, placed side by side, tell the story of "a vanished France," "the France of the Trente Glorieuses (Thirty Glorious Years), which corresponds to the massive construction of large housing estates in practically every city in France," a France that was "if not happy, at least optimistic," propelled toward progress and mass consumption. Despite the apparent unity of these large housing complexes, which all seem to resemble one another, Renaud Epstein also highlights their unique characteristics, going beyond the clichés. These buildings, he reminds us, have been the "playground for the greatest French and European architects." #city #society #franceculture _____________ Join us at La Grande Table to meet other leading figures shaping the world of ideas 👉    • La Grande table   or on the website 👉 https://www.franceculture.fr/emission... Follow France Culture on: Facebook:   / franceculture   Twitter:   / franceculture   Instagram:   / franceculture