French Public Policy Research Articles

Prise en compte des espèces de cohérence nationale trame verte et bleue dans les schémas régionaux de cohérence écologique

Species for a national coherence of the French Green and Blue Infrastructure (TVB program) : how have they been taken into account in the Regional Ecological-Continuity Plans (SRCE) ? The “Trame verte et bleue” (TVB) is a French public policy that aims to better include biodiversity in territorial planning and particularly to reduce habitat fragmentation. The overall objective is to preserve and restore an ecological network, consisting of biodiversity cores and corridors linking them. For that purpose, TVB policy is deployed on several territorial levels. On the national level, a framework document (titled ON-TVB) presents the main objectives of the program. In particular, the ON-TVB lists some animal species for each French regions that have a national responsibility to protect them. The French regions had to take into account (within the meaning of legal enforceability) those TVB species within their regional schemes (named SRCE). Now that SRCE are adopted, it is time to have an overview of this new and original system and to evaluate its efficacity and effectivity from a technical and scientific point of view. In this work, two methods to take into account the TVB species have been identified to make this assessment : i) using the TVB species to design the regional ecological network or ii) checking retrospectively that the TVB species are actually present in the regional ecological network. The results show that two-thirds of the French regions used one of those two methods. About half of the French regions took into account the TVB species using them to design their cores and corridors. Almost one third of the French regions checked the proportion of the TVB species distribution found in their regional ecological network. Yet, to look forward this first analysis based on SRCE review, an independent assessment is needed to verify that the TVB species were sufficiently taken into account. As for now, in view of those results, it’s already possible to suggest that the ON-TVB better clarify what “ to take into account” means and what is expected of the regions about the TVB species. Such a consolidation of the ON-TVB is all the more necessary in the current context in which SRCE are being integrated with other regional plans into a new inclusive regional scheme (named “Sraddet”).

Father Figures and Cultural Diversity in France

Who are the father figures or cultural role models for paternal involvement in France today? In this article, we examine changes in the cultural models of father involvement or father figures from a framework of family sociology and in light of the move from male breadwinner models to dual earner families. First, we note the persistence of a neopatriarchal father figure in some specific groups of society, in particular large families who practice their religion actively. However, this father figure is declining under the pressures of mass unemployment, a rise in female employment activity, and an increase in marital separations. At the same time, sociologists highlight the increase in preoccupation with the concept of failing fathers. There is normative alarm about failing fatherhood among early childhood professionals interviewed for this study. Alternatively, we see the emergence of a new range of father involvement figures: especially among the intellectual middle classes and among some immigrants, where tasks are shared equally and with little gender differentiation within the home; one where fathers shake up or even overturn gender roles, whether in a gay or heterosexual couples, one where stepfathers are committed fully to their educational role. Our study shows that these three phenomena of neopatriarchal fathers, failing fathers, and new fathers exist side by side and reflect three eras of male/female relationships in French public policies: familialism, feminism, and parentalism.

On the ‘front lines’ of the classroom: moral education and Muslim students in French state schools

This paper examines the role of the French state school classroom as a scene of moral pedagogy from the point of view of the French state and Muslim community activists. I argue that in both sets of discourses, the state school classroom is consistently figured as the front lines of a battleground, in which teachers, students, and parents are all combatants, but the sides and stakes of the battle are drawn differently. In each account, though, the stakes of the battle centre on the moral education of the rising generation. The state discourses fit with the history of French pedagogical theory since the inception of the state schools, and mark a recent ‘return of the moral’ in French public discourse and policy making. In response to the increased securitisation of the state school classroom in the aftermath of the attacks of January and November 2015, French Muslim activists have addressed a variety of conflicts related to the schools as a single coordinated fight against Islamophobia, discrimination, and persistent inequalities. By both paralleling and inverting the state’s ‘battleground’ rhetoric in their critiques, these activists situate themselves at the heart of the national conversation about how to form the rising generation as ethical subjects.

Energy Burden Alleviation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction: Can We Reach Two Objectives With One Policy?

In this article, we assess French current public policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and abate household energy burden, through a simulation of changes in residential sector characteristics over the long run. We build on an existing partial equilibrium model to take into consideration key determinants of excessive energy burden among vulnerable households. This analysis reveals that current public policies are not sufficient to reach the ambitious objectives for reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions in France. Moreover, the decreases that might occur mask significant social disparities across households. The joint implementation of multiple instruments leads to interactions that diminish overall policy outcomes. Overall, current public policies produce estimated free-riding rates of 75%. Energy efficiency measures are thus insufficient in themselves; the government should focus more on monetary poverty as a cause of low home improvement rates and consider subsidizing renovation costs as a potential solution.

French Insurance and Flood Risk: Assessing the Impact of Prevention Through the Rating of Action Programs for Flood Prevention

French insurance is part of a public–private partnership with the French State to compensate flood-related damages, and there is growing concern among insurers about damaging climatic events. To promote preventive actions as well as to take them into account in flood risk assessment, insurers have recently expressed the need to develop a rating system of preventive actions. This study identified Action Programs for Flood Prevention (Programme d’Action pour la Prévention des Inondations—PAPI) as the key French public policy instrument: they provide an overview of the diversity of actions that are conducted locally at the relevant risk basin scale. A database of all intended actions in the 145 launched PAPIs was constructed and the actions were coded (88 codes). The analysis consisted of two steps: (1) We conducted an expert valuation using the Analytic Network Process and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, aiming at creating an experimental national rating system. The results show the importance of implementing an integrated strategy that particularly emphasizes land use planning and urban planning. This appears even sounder as individual actions show relatively limited effectiveness. (2) The ratings of actions were applied to each PAPI according to their implemented actions. The resulting scores for individual PAPIs, as local risk coping capacity indicators, show great variance ranging from 8 to 324 points. This confirms the need to take prevention into account in flood risk assessment.

French energy policy: A gradual transition

Over the past decade, France has gradually adapted its energy policy to bring it into line with its international environmental commitments. Historically based on independence and sobriety criteria, French energy policy now prioritises the environmental and climate impact of its energy mix. However, chaotic or fuzzy public policies make this transition gradual and non-linear. This paper analyses the recent developments in French energy policy by placing it in its international context. After an analysis of the general situation of the country, we examine the main lines of the French public policy in three main areas: transport, power generation and heating. Then, we conclude with the political implications for the future.

France: working longer takes time, in spite of reforms to raise the retirement age

Examination of the French situation from a comparative European perspective exposes the country's poor performance with regard to the employment of seniors and the prolongation of working life. Despite a recent rise in the employment rate of 55–59 year‐olds, worrisome signs have appeared, such as the steep rise in unemployment for this age category; this is indicative of the increasing vulnerability of ageing workers in the labour market. This critical analysis of twenty years of French public policies related to older workers seeks to identify the reasons for France's lag in making working life longer. The principal reason seems to be that public policies have nearly exclusively focused on increasing the supply of senior labour without adequately taking into account incentives for stimulating corporate demand for it. The many pension reforms undertaken from 2003 to 2014 have sought to lift the institutional obstacles to working longer. Accordingly, they have raised both the legal retirement age and the requisite number of quarters of contributions for entitlement to a full pension under Social Security. But effective, active labour market policies for stimulating the demand for senior labour have been lacking.

ПОДОЛАННЯ ДИСКРИМІНАЦІЇ ЖІНОК ТА ЗАХИСТ ЇХ ПРАВ МІЖНАРОДНИМИ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯМ (1945 – 1967 РОКИ)

"Women's issue" in French society remains unresolved after granting of voting rights to women which actually made them equal with men. Discrimination on the basis of gender in France took place in traditional thinking, the main thesis of which was the stereotypical perception of women as second-rate persons and weak individual in the family and society. So, women needed protection and approval of their rights. International organizations took the responsibility to protect women from discrimination and pursue policies to improve conditions of their life. Several declarations, conventions, pacts were adopted by the Organization of the United Nations and the International Labour Organization. They have been directed to change the relationship between members of society by providing equal rights in all spheres of life regardless of their gender, nationality, religion, property belonging or any other possible human characteristics. Formation of the French public policy conducted in accordance with the decisions of international organizations, in which she was a permanent member. Overcoming discrimination policy of women was aimed for destruction stereotypical attitudes that concern the role of women in French society, economic, social, political and daily life.

Learning Processes and Trajectories for the Reduction of Antibiotic Use in Pig Farming: A Qualitative Approach.

Since 2011, French public policy has been encouraging a reduction in the use of antibiotics in animal farming. The aim of this article is to look at how some farms have already managed to lower their consumption of antibiotics, and to highlight the levers of change in farming health practices. Our research uses a qualitative study based on 21 semi-structured interviews with farmers and veterinarians in the French pig-farming sector. We use the notion of “trajectory of change” to examine, over time, the intersection of the technical, economic, social and organisational determinants which affect the reduced use of antibiotics. The “learning process” concept makes it possible to take account of the way in which the actors assimilate, appropriate and implement new health practices. We have identified three interdependent levels of learning: technical learning, cognitive learning and organisational learning.

Physical and sports activities, and healthy and active ageing: Establishing a frame of reference for public action

Since the 1960s, there has been a change in the portrayal of older people. This change has resulted in the promotion of an active way of life that led, at the turn of the twenty-first century, to the development by international bodies of standard guidelines relating to active or healthy ageing. This article examines the place of guidelines on physical activity in the perception of ageing reflected in French public policies developed in accordance with international directives. After explaining how healthy and active ageing are defined in different international and national plans and official guidelines, the growing importance of physical activity is highlighted. From a very general invitation to remain active, precise instructions for physical activities were established addressing the detrimental effects of ageing. Finally, this study points out how the increasing focus on physical activity has contributed to the creation of a frame of reference in public policy that emphasizes the responsibility of each individual for their own health.

Inclusion of territorial resources in the product development process

Facing globalization, territorial competitiveness is considered by (French) public policy makers as promising both economic and social value creation locally. Companies consider territorial specificities when selecting a location (e.g. low production costs, highly qualified labor pool) in a utilitarian perspective. This research proposes encouraging companies to consider territory as a value creation network where exploitable resources flow. The proposal presented in this paper is to integrate these latent territorial resources into the product development process to create value for both the company and its territory in a sustainable perspective. The literature review highlights that current eco design practices have great impact on territories, but that this dimension is not considered in terms of resources. Moreover, current assessment practices are not adapted to overall performance evaluation and need revision to meet the system innovation goal. After clarifying the concept of territory, two industrial cases are provided to analyze how territorial resources were included in the design process and how it improved the overall performance of the company-territory system. From the success factors emerging from literature and cases, a method to release the potential of territorial resources is presented. A revised strategic process dedicated to senior management is proposed as the enabler of system innovation with the intention of improving the design of sustainable products. This paper concludes with the necessary cultural evolution that every stakeholder in the value network must undergo to promote territorial values in a sustainable perspective. This study contributes to the emerging discipline of design for local value creation.

Empty Promises? Public Policy Against Racial and Ethnic Discrimination in France

The inadequacy of government efforts to curb discrimination against postcolonial minorities, referred to in everyday discourse as “Arabs,” “Muslims,” and “blacks,” is a major weakness in French public policy, feeding resentment that contributes to violent extremism. The first part of this article presents a brief overview of the main policy frames that have been adopted towards postcolonial immigrant minorities in France. The second section examines the development of public policy against racial and ethnic discrimination, highlighting serious limitations with particular reference to police racism, ethnically-based data-gathering, and the Haute Autorité de lutte contre les discriminations et pour l'égalité (HALDE). The third section reviews evidence documenting the high levels of discrimination experienced by racial and ethnic minorities and the ineffectiveness of efforts to combat it. The fourth offers an explanatory framework for the fitful and largely unproductive nature of those efforts.

The French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology position paper on the concept of integration. Part two

The concept of integrated services delivery, although dating from the 1990s, has only recently appeared in French public health policy. To clarify the concept and its adaptation to the reality of the French systems of healthcare and social services, the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology established an interdisciplinary working group. This article reports that group's findings according to three axes: the definition of integration, the objectives of this organizational approach and the means needed to achieve them. Analysis of the literature indicated that integration is a process that aims to overcome the fragmentation of services for vulnerable people. This process requires a multilevel approach, particularly concerning how to modify public policies and financing systems. Notably, all relevant levels need to develop shared processes, tools, resources, finance, interventions and returns on the latter. Indeed, this sharing is the ultimate proof of evolution towards integration. In the second part of the position paper, its authors have developed arguments that could lead professionals and non-professional caregivers to adopt integrated care as an answer to their aspirations. Policy-maker perspectives and politicians are also analyzed. Bearing in mind that integrated care necessarily will always involve a human component which may find expression during individual case-management; relations between integration and case managements are clarified. Finally, lessons learned from national and international experiments are examined. Results suggest that integrated care must to be accompanied by a local pilot. Results of recent experiments have shown that it is possible to initiate a dynamic towards integrated care in France and hence join the international movement towards adapting our healthcare systems to new challenges.

The French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology position paper on the concept of integration.

The concept of integration, although dating from the 1990s, has only recently appeared in French public health policy. It must be linked with 'coordination', which is the base of most French public policies applied to geriatrics since the 1960s. Herein, we report the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology working group's findings according to three axes: definition of integration, objectives of this organisational approach and the means needed to achieve them. Integration is a process that aims to overcome the fragmentation of services for vulnerable people. This process requires a multilevel approach, particularly concerning how to modify public policies and financing systems. Notably, all relevant levels need to develop shared processes, tools, resources, financing, interventions and action-reports on the latter. Integration must be accompanied by a local dedicated professional (the 'pilot'). Results of recent experiments showed that it is possible to implement integrative dynamics in France.

The French society of geriatrics and gerontology position paper on the concept of integration Part one

The concept of integrated services delivery, although dating from the 1990s, has only recently appeared in the French public health policy. To clarify the concept and its adaptation to the reality of the French systems of healthcare and social services, the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology established an interdisciplinary working group. This article reports the group's findings according to three axes: the definition of integration, the objectives of this organizational approach and the means needed to achieve them. Analysis of the literature indicated that integration is a process that aims to overcome the fragmentation of services for vulnerable people. This process requires a multilevel approach, particularly concerning how to modify public policies and financing systems. Notably, all relevant levels need to develop shared processes, tools, resources, finance, interventions and feed-back on the latter. Indeed, this sharing is the ultimate proof of evolution towards integration. In this first part of the position paper, its authors analyzed integrated care definitions used in international literature in view of designing the most important components of integrated care. The examination of this concept must be articulated with the idea of "coordination" which has been the cornerstone of the majority of public policies applied to the field of geriatrics and gerontology since the 1960s in France. The components of integrated care highlight that it is an ambitious process leading to real systemic modification. The authors also have proposed to open up a dialogue between citizens' aspirations and integrated care objectives with the aim to verify that the latter respond to the needs as expressed by the targeted group.

Enforcing Punitive Damages Awards in France: Facing Proportionality within International Public Policy

International commercial arbitration is not alien to the concept of punitive damages. In fact, arbitral tribunals commonly resort to punitive measures in cases where one of the defendants’ conduct has breached all means of decency and deserves heavy sanctions. Accordingly, a question that follows is whether such an arbitral award can sustain enforceability in jurisdictions that prohibit punitive damages. France is often designated as the seat of arbitration because of its favorable laws and widespread opposition to punitive damages. Although much ink has been spilled in France regarding the legality of punitive damages, the rule remains unchanged: courts are strictly prohibited from issuing punitive damages for civil injuries. This contrasts strongly with common law jurisdictions, such as the United States, where the principle of exemplary damages is deeply rooted in the country’s tort liability regimes.This legal paradox lies in the deep opposition between principles of French law and the rules of international arbitration as applied in France. Thus, in the interest of understanding international arbitration in France, the answer to one question is essential: To what degree should the domestic prohibition of punitive damages affect punitive foreign arbitral awards when enforcement is sought before French courts?This article argues that France is not opposed to the enforcement of punitive damages awards; therefore, parties should not fear seeking enforcement before French courts. Indeed, French courts treat the prohibition against punitive damages as a question proper to domestic public policy, which is not encompassed within the narrower international public policy category. Thus, an objecting party would not find support in invoking the international public policy exception to bar the award’s enforcement. In addition, French law has carved a caveat pursuant to which punitive arbitral awards must satisfy a proportionality test; absent proportionality, an award would be in violation of French international public policy.

Macromarketing Issues on the Sidewalk

The aim of this research is to show that though French public policy advocates sustainable development, it unwittingly deters non-institutionalized sustainable practices. To illustrate this paradox, this research focuses on bulky item collection and the urban gleaning to which it gives rise. A qualitative study shows that urban gleaning comes into conflict with the hygiene norm that pre-exists concerns about sustainability. To ease these tensions and authorize themselves to glean, gleaners draw on a repertoire of justifications around sustainability that condemns waste and attributes altruistic intentions to disposers. In turn, to put their items out on the sidewalk, disposers must negotiate tensions in relation both to the hygiene norm (not polluting public space) and to the sustainability norm (not throwing away items that could still be used by other people). To justify their act, disposers construct an image of gleaners, to whom they can “pass on” their possessions. This double process appears to create a new form of sustainable circulation through which objects are redistributed and which has important implications for macromarketing.

From Silent Marginality to Spotlight Scapegoating? A Brief Case Study of France's Policy Towards the Roma

This article addresses the way in which the Roma were framed as an important ‘security issue’ on the French public policy agenda during the Sarkozy presidency. By pointing out continuities and discontinuities in the association between ‘immigation’ and ‘insecurity’ in official discourse, it analyses the somehow unexpected and sudden scapegoating of the Roma as responding to immediate political imperatives, but also as an expression of a mounting trend of nationalism. The fact that, in France, public space is officially ethnicity-blind contributed, paradoxically, to the rapid stigmatisation of the Roma as a group.

French videogaming

This article discusses developments in French public policy towards videogaming in the 2000s, and explains them by locating them within the context of French cultural policy during the Fifth Republic (especially since the 1980s), and evolving interpretations of what kinds of activities can contribute to France’s ‘cultural presence’ in the world.

The Articulation of a French Civil Hinduism

This paper examines the impact that the French principle of laicite has upon Indian and Hindu associations' production of messages about Hinduism in Guadeloupe, French West Indies. Laicite is meant to protect the public arena so that all religious traditions may coexist privately. It is the principle that, for example, has restricted displays of Muslim identity in women by banning the headscarf (foulard) in public spaces such as national schools. In Guadeloupe, Indian and Hindu associations are forced to respond to French public policy in configuring their messages about Hinduism. To fit their messages within the context of laicite, associations have chosen to present Indian culture and Hinduism as two entities; Indian culture has to do with dances and songs, whereas Hinduism is everything related to the temple. Beyond the appearance of laicite that Indian and Hindu associations cultivate, however, this paper suggests that they are deliberately creating understandings of Indian culture that are everyday more inclusive of Hinduism. Since the principle of laicite does not allow this religious minority to exist in a meaningful way, the minority has expanded the notion of laicite in order to survive.