Racial discrimination hurts more than discrimination on the basis of class. This is because one can move up the class ladder but one cannot change one’s physical features or skin colour. This remarkable book, The Experience of Discrimination in France: Why Me? brings out graphically that in the developed world like France for instance, the discriminated do not starve or get locked up but they nevertheless suffer pain and discrimination both latent and manifest. The authors, François Dubet, Olivier Cousin, Eric Macé and Sandrine Rui flesh out each of these, which makes the everyday life of the discriminated, come alive at every turn.

François Dubet is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux and Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). He is the author of several books on social movements, urban problems, juvenile marginalization, delinquency, school, socialization, work and sociological theory. His current work is on sociological theories and sociology of education, inequality and justice.

Olivier Cousin is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux and is also Associate Researcher at the Center for Sociological Analysis and Intervention (CADIS, EHESS-CNRS). His areas of research include sociology of education and sociology of work.

Eric Macé is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bordeaux and is also Associate Researcher at the Center for Sociological Analysis and Intervention (EHESS-CNRS). His fields of specialization are sociology of contemporary postcolonial wars, comparative sociology of gender and sexual relations in the world and public sphere and mediacultures.

Sandrine Rui is Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Researcher at the Emile-Durkheim Center (CNRS – University of Bordeaux). She is also Research Associate at the Center for Analysis and Sociological Intervention (CADIS-EHESS). Her areas of interest are democracy, participation, public action, evaluation, conflict, social movements, sociological intervention, discrimination, individuation processes and gender.