Youth Transition in France

This article is concerned with youth transition in France. It is based on fieldwork undertaken over a five-year period. The first was in 1997-98 and the substantive foci of research involved two French schools in the Bourgogne area of France and one in the Aquitaine region of France. The second period was in June 1999 when the fourth school was visited and a series of interviews were carried out. The final stage of the research was undertaken in 2001 using the Aquitaine School and another school in Colombiers, Toulouse. The research methodology used was a combination of questionnaires, student, staff and administrative interviews and focus groups. The study is further informed by a literature review on French youth transition.