Rethinking laïcité as a geopolitical concept

Laïcité, France’s idiosyncratic religious neutrality, is a concept that governs significant aspects of daily life while being notoriously variable in its application. Alongside sociological, legal and historical understandings laïcité, I propose an additional way to view laïcité: through critical geopolitical perspective. argue laïcité has been made unmade geographic imaginaries practices which idealised modes universal citizenship confront negotiate with affiliations faith culture produce hegemonic ideas about the place identity French society. In particular, this confrontation occurred within public school system, école républicaine. as it manifested educational policies well imaginaries, reflects will forge nationally unified citizenry ambivalence need locally rooted cultural identities. illustrate phenomenon student infringements, or atteintes, against these are framed grave threat republican unity requiring national interventions, there nevertheless consistent lack spatially specific official knowledge where atteintes take place.