Youth Protests in France
Molly Moore of the Washington Post describes the very different experiences of two French twentysomethings who grew up in the same Parisian suburb. If the youth protests in France are about the government unilaterally trying to change the social contract, this story helps describe what young people there are trying to hold on to:
Dhelft, a slight man with close-cropped hair and a sparse beard, grew up not far from the opulent Versailles palace in the suburban Paris town of the same name. He is typical of the many French youth who follow their hearts through college with a curriculum that is decades behind the current job market.
When he graduated with a degree in sociology, he discovered he could not even get a job interview at one major research institute without a reference from inside the company. The small, nonprofit groups he preferred had no jobs to offer. He enrolled in graduate courses and since finishing in 2003 he has made an admittedly less-than-aggressive effort to find a job — seven or eight interviews.
“I could be sending out 10 résumés a day,” said Dhelft, sitting at a Paris cafe, nursing a coffee as well as a wrist he sprained playing handball. “But it’s not in my mentality. I’m more laid-back, and I’m not convinced sending 10 résumés a day would get more offers.”
When he turned 25, Dhelft became eligible for welfare because he had never held a job. He received 350 euros a month, about $425.
