How do language questions affect migrants' pathways to employment in France?

Conférence de Joanne WALKER, sociologue et ingénieure de recherche au laboratoire ESO (Université d'Angers), organisée dans le cadre des séminaires internationaux du master de sociologie.

Although historical disciplinary divisions mean sociology has often neglected sociolinguistics (Mucchielli, 1998), social questions around language remain plentiful and international migrations provide a field to explore some of them. How does sociology tackle questions of linguistic diversity? Can sociologists avoid using everyday knowledge and categories that reinforce language hierarchies? This conference draws on existing literature and an ongoing study to look at the issues behind these questions and, more particularly, to ask how language articulates with other "borders" (Mezzadra, Neilson, 2015) to affect migrant pathways into employment. A double focus will take in questions of how migrants access French language learning provision in France and how employers' representations and practices around language can affect health and social care professionals' pathways into work.