The obstacles to participation among precarious populations. How a charity organization shapes collective identifications

This paper addresses the question of the drivers and obstacles to participation among precarious populations. It is based on a field survey carried out in a charity organization and focuses on the construction of collective identifications among the beneficiaries. It highlights the role of the charity organization in the shaping of these identifications, as well as their fragmentation. Together, these two mechanisms make it difficult for precarious populations to have their voice heard collectively. Finally, the paper emphasizes how such a collective voice seldom emerges, by questioning who is responsible for poverty.