Meeting with Loïc Wacquant

Loïc Wacquant returns to the Urban School of Sciences Po. After the seminar to discuss his latest book, organized last June, the well-known Berkeley professor is once again a guest of the Urban School and committed to discussing and meeting the students of our different Masters courses. 

Loic Wacquant is one of the most influential urban sociologists. A champion of comparison, he has studied the conditions of segregation in the slums of American and French cities. His contributions have always shown great concern for capturing the carnality of social existence. Always engaged in teaching and research in Urban Sociology, his work has had a profound influence on topics such as urban poverty, mass incarceration, popular sports, the stigmatization of territories, the role of social policies and the welfare state in countering forms of ghettoization, the condition of the underclass, and the costs of exclusion and racial discrimination. Wacquant has acted as a consultant on issues of urban poverty, violence, ethnicity, and crime to central and local governments, unions, and courts in France, Argentina, Brazil, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Nations, and the OECD.

His presence at the Urban School reaffirms our commitment to comparative education and our strong focus on discussing with the greatest depth the big issues and problems related to urban marginality, ethnoracial domination, local welfare policies, as well as a critical understanding of crime and incarceration. During his stay at the Urban School, our students will be able to meet him to discuss their collective and individual projects.

For an overview of the inspiration, trajectory, and foci of his work, we suggest looking at “Carnal Concepts in Action” (Thesis Eleven, 2023). A presentation of his main books and scientific articles and a rich selection of videos of some of his public lectures can be found on his website.