Being here but not from here. Subjectivations and contradictions of the experiences of the State in migration

From a long-term study of young migrants in France, this article examines how their relationships with institutions and their perception of their place in the society are co-constructed. It analyzes the consonances and dissonances between the experiences of different public policies, the indirect experiences of the State, and the contacts with other socialization instances (couple, family, media, peers, work, solidarity networks). The analysis highlights the interiorization of an outsider status that constitutes a minorized relationship with the State, but shows also how the internal discrepancies of public policies can lead these young people to identify themselves to the French society while feeling excluded from it. By shedding light on an aspect of migration still largely unknown, this article ultimately contributes to a comprehensive and longitudinal understanding of shaping of the way the governed see and act.