[Foreigners and naturalized French citizens: a slow social diversification (1982-1990)]

"Two decades of economic recession have brought about profound transformations in the social structure of France's working population. In this article we focused on an analysis of socioprofessional statistics from the censuses of 1982 and 1990 (the first ones to use the new terminology) as means of understanding the role and status in these developments of populations produced by immigration. The social gap between working people of foreign origin and the birthright French remains quite considerable. Nevertheless, despite the economic situation, the social homogeneity of the minority population seems to be fading. Although the great majority of working people from a foreign background are still employed in low-echelon industrial and service jobs, there is a tendency for this homogeneity to blur slightly." (SUMMARY IN ENG AND SPA)