Elite education and the State in France: durable ties and new challenges

Agnès van Zanten (1) , Claire Maxwell

1 OSC - Observatoire sociologique du changement (Sciences Po, CNRS)

Employing a Weberian understanding of the centrality of a strong bureaucracy in the modern nation-state, this article examines the relationship between the state and elite education in France. Through a historical analysis and an examination of two current issues facing education – widening participation and pressures to internationalise – we illustrate how the legitimacy of the administrative and political establishments, as well as the status granted to elite education tracks, has been largely preserved. Furthermore, dominant social classes have actively played a role in this alliance, thereby limiting the circle of eligible individuals who can aspire to future elite positions.

Keywords: State legitimacy; Meritocracy; Elite education; Educational policy

Domains: Humanities and Social Sciences; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Sociology

Agnès van Zanten, Claire Maxwell. Elite education and the State in France: durable ties and new challenges. British Journal of Sociology, 2015, 36 (1), pp.71 - 94. ⟨10.1080/01425692.2014.968245⟩. ⟨hal-03473720⟩