Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariages

In France, daily lives are defined by new “internal” borders between “native” French, “naturalized” French as well as all others who, although not French, live on the French territory, and constitute “a problem” which affects the private lives of single citizens just as it affects governmental actio...

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Main Author: Manuela Salcedo Robledo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université de Reims Champagne-Ardennes 2011-05-01
Series:L'Espace Politique
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/1869
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author Manuela Salcedo Robledo
author_facet Manuela Salcedo Robledo
author_sort Manuela Salcedo Robledo
collection DOAJ
description In France, daily lives are defined by new “internal” borders between “native” French, “naturalized” French as well as all others who, although not French, live on the French territory, and constitute “a problem” which affects the private lives of single citizens just as it affects governmental action and political discourse. This article brings to light one of these borders, that brands unions of couples or binational marriages, which are more generally called “mixed marriages”. They illustrate the gap that separates “us” (the French) from “them” (foreign nationals from states outside of the European Union). By analyzing the following interviews of two foreign partners of French women, I show that the actual politics of immigration reverberate throughout the personal lives of binational couples. These people can attest to the virtual impossibility of leading a life together, due to the new administrative constraints that the foreign partner must endure during the process of sorting out or obtaining a “Private and Family Life” document (carte de séjour “Vie privée et familiale). New tactical accounts are juxtaposed to romantic relationships, particularly for heterosexual couples. Forced to justify the selfless character of their marriage, not to mention the sincerity of the love that unites them, they test out the practical, political and moral meaning of the borders that organize the social world.
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spelling doaj-art-bf2b48f5d9f648f0b54ace5dd084bba02025-08-20T01:54:49ZengUniversité de Reims Champagne-ArdennesL'Espace Politique1958-55002011-05-011310.4000/espacepolitique.1869Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariagesManuela Salcedo RobledoIn France, daily lives are defined by new “internal” borders between “native” French, “naturalized” French as well as all others who, although not French, live on the French territory, and constitute “a problem” which affects the private lives of single citizens just as it affects governmental action and political discourse. This article brings to light one of these borders, that brands unions of couples or binational marriages, which are more generally called “mixed marriages”. They illustrate the gap that separates “us” (the French) from “them” (foreign nationals from states outside of the European Union). By analyzing the following interviews of two foreign partners of French women, I show that the actual politics of immigration reverberate throughout the personal lives of binational couples. These people can attest to the virtual impossibility of leading a life together, due to the new administrative constraints that the foreign partner must endure during the process of sorting out or obtaining a “Private and Family Life” document (carte de séjour “Vie privée et familiale). New tactical accounts are juxtaposed to romantic relationships, particularly for heterosexual couples. Forced to justify the selfless character of their marriage, not to mention the sincerity of the love that unites them, they test out the practical, political and moral meaning of the borders that organize the social world.https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/1869immigrationothernessmarriagescouplesbordersboundaries
spellingShingle Manuela Salcedo Robledo
Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariages
L'Espace Politique
immigration
otherness
marriages
couples
borders
boundaries
title Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariages
title_full Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariages
title_fullStr Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariages
title_full_unstemmed Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariages
title_short Bleu, blanc, gris… la couleur des mariages
title_sort bleu blanc gris la couleur des mariages
topic immigration
otherness
marriages
couples
borders
boundaries
url https://journals.openedition.org/espacepolitique/1869
work_keys_str_mv AT manuelasalcedorobledo bleublancgrislacouleurdesmariages