La peur du déclassement - Eric Maurin
- In french. First published in 2009.
Social downgrading, the words are on everyone lips and to be read everywhere, today. But further than just their unavoidable nature, they cover 2 very distinct realities. The most obvious one is the ruptures which lead individuals to see their social positions downgraded. The 2nd one is even more decisive: that is the fear of being downgraded. Source of generalized competition and frustrations, the fear of being downgraded is becoming the negative source of energy in our society. Based on that understanding, the author offers a new reading of our society, through the understanding of the key factors, and help rethink the conditions of its reshaping.
-> Aware that the world as we see it today is moving faster and faster, and that no such things such as work, family, competence and social skills, can for ever be taken for granted, I was very much willing to find an explanation frame to my personal feeling about it. The author brought another perspective to it, arguing that the "have not" are actually not the one fearing it the most, and the most vindicative ones, but actually that all those fears are nurtured within the social and professional circles where benefits and status have became an intrinsic and natural part of life. In other words, the fears to see it taken from them will force a large group of them to adapt to a new situation and the necessary efforts to "reshape" our society, to match with our current world, is far from being broadly accepted and shared.
Social downgrading, the words are on everyone lips and to be read everywhere, today. But further than just their unavoidable nature, they cover 2 very distinct realities. The most obvious one is the ruptures which lead individuals to see their social positions downgraded. The 2nd one is even more decisive: that is the fear of being downgraded. Source of generalized competition and frustrations, the fear of being downgraded is becoming the negative source of energy in our society. Based on that understanding, the author offers a new reading of our society, through the understanding of the key factors, and help rethink the conditions of its reshaping.
-> Aware that the world as we see it today is moving faster and faster, and that no such things such as work, family, competence and social skills, can for ever be taken for granted, I was very much willing to find an explanation frame to my personal feeling about it. The author brought another perspective to it, arguing that the "have not" are actually not the one fearing it the most, and the most vindicative ones, but actually that all those fears are nurtured within the social and professional circles where benefits and status have became an intrinsic and natural part of life. In other words, the fears to see it taken from them will force a large group of them to adapt to a new situation and the necessary efforts to "reshape" our society, to match with our current world, is far from being broadly accepted and shared.