This article aims to analyse the way in which the so-called Muhammad cartoons controversy was constructed as a public issue in France and in Germany. We study the reactions of different main actors participating in the definition of this event as a social problem, in particular the media, politicians and intellectuals, as well as Muslim organizations. We ask to what extent national contexts impact on the construction of the debates around religious pluralism and more widely around multiculturalism. The case of the cartoons controversy seems to illustrate a shift towards (re-)codifying migrants and minorities on the lines of culture and religion as the ‘Muslim other’, which coincides with the international debate on the antagonism between Islam and the western world. This may be interpreted as a sign of convergence. Still, national legacies shape these overlapping discourses on national identity, belonging, and valid norms and values.
Résumé De nombreuses critiques remettent aujourd’hui en cause le recours à l’entretien semi-directif en sociologie de l’action publique. Nous pointons ici les insuffisances de ces critiques et soutenons que l’entretien semi-directif reste indispensable à qui veut connaître l’action publique, que ce soit dans sa dimension historique ou dans sa dimension synchronique. Nous proposons de clarifier et mobiliser deux usages de l’entretien trop rarement explicités que nous appelons l’usage informatif/narratif et l’usage compréhensif. Là où le premier permet de reconstituer les processus d’action publique dans leur historicité, le second ouvre la voie à l’analyse des pratiques quotidiennes des acteurs des politiques publiques et des représentations qui les orientent.
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