Social Integration and Exclusion in France: Some Introductory Remarks from a Social Transaction Perspective

Nowadays in France, a political rhetoric highlights the 'excluded' and aims to reduce 'social fracture'. Most sociologists react negatively to this stance and propose alternative concepts to exclusion, such as 'disaffiliation' and 'disqualification'. This paper links together integration and exclusion as a social transaction process and outlines how this theoretical framework is applicable to the housing field. It identifies some implications for housing policy, particularly in relation to the management of the HLM sector in France.