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Conference-debate: "Privileged Youth"
Forget everything you thought you knew about youth trajectories and take a closer look at the mechanisms of social inheritance. This session offers a sharp, analytical dive into how elite groups form their networks and sustain their advantages far from the public eye.
Sciences Po - Salle Jeannie de Clarens (Paris 7th)
About
The conference-debate titled "Privileged Youths" takes place on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Sciences Po. This event offers an academic exploration of social reproduction, network strategies, and cultural practices among young people from upper social classes. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with researchers Kevin Geay and Clément Rivière, coordinators of the Agora débats/jeunesses journal, to discuss the mechanisms that shape these specific youth trajectories. This event is open to individuals aged 18 and over. Participation is free of charge, but please note that registration is mandatory to attend.
How are privileges constructed, transmitted, and experienced during youth?
This is the question at the heart of the latest issue of Agora débats/jeunesses, dedicated to privileged youth and coordinated by Kevin Geay and Clément Rivière.
While research on youth has largely focused on the paths of young people from working-class backgrounds, this issue proposes shifting the focus to young people from upper social classes. The ambition is to better understand the mechanisms of social reproduction at work during youth: transmission of capital, specific socializations, residential self-segregation, distinctive cultural practices, and strategies for building networks.
The program includes an analysis of the issues covered in this issue, a discussion with the coordinators about privileged youth, and a Q&A session with the public.
This issue consists of an introduction and five articles:
– Kevin Geay and Clément Rivière – "A long, quiet river? Privileged youth between indetermination and reproduction"
– Maximilien Serreau — "Spending time 'networking.' Maximizing social capital among students at an elite business school"
– Louisa Tortel — "Dusting off a taste for heritage. Cultural recompositions among young traditional elites"
– Mathias Thura — "The beer gentrifiers"
– Nicolas Oppenchaim, Laurent-Proulhac and Sandrine-Wenglenski — "Daily mobility of young people in upscale neighborhoods: a reproduction of residential self-segregation?"
– May Khattab — "The further it is, the richer it is. Self-segregation and distancing from the 'local' among young Egyptian elites"
Moderators: Julie Couronné and Laurent Lardeux, editors-in-chief of the journal Agora débats/jeunesses.
Our take on this event
Join us on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Jeannie de Clarens room at Sciences Po for an insightful debate on the youth of upper social classes. From 17:00 to 19:00, the session focuses on how privileges are constructed and transmitted, shifting the academic spotlight toward elite social circles and their distinct lifestyle strategies.
The afternoon features a breakdown of the latest Agora débats/jeunesses journal edition, coordinated by Kevin Geay and Clément Rivière, with moderation by Julie Couronné and Laurent Lardeux. The discussion will cover topics such as professional networking in elite business schools, residential segregation, and cultural consumption among young elites. The session concludes with an open dialogue allowing the audience to interact with the contributors.
This event is reserved for attendees aged 18 and above. While admission is free, you must register in advance to secure your attendance at this venue located in the 7th arrondissement.
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