Résumé
Since the second half of the 20th century, night-time spaces have been reshaped by a gradual extension of the rhythms of life into night-time and, more recently, by the emergence of festive nightlife districts in many city centres. While most of the research conducted so far has focused on metropolises, this PhD thesis proposes to study these recent transformations in intermediate cities, paying particular attention to the actors who have initiated and benefited from these changes.By means of a detailed exploitation of the results of three editions of the French Time Use Survey (1986, 1999, 2010) and of the latest edition conducted in three other European countries (Spain, Italy, UK), this PhD thesis confirms and quantifies the increase in night-time activities over the last forty years while highlighting the unequal participation of the different social groups in these activities. By combining these findings with a qualitative analysis of two French intermediate cities – Reims and Dijon – this PhD thesis reveals a transformation of the power and alliance relationships between the actors involved in the production of night-time spaces. In particular, local authorities have progressively affirmed themselves as providers and regulators of night-time activities, whereas their role was still marginal at the beginning of the 2000s. They have at the same time strengthened the role played by private establishment owners, students and university graduates. By favouring the appropriation of night-time spaces by certain groups, it appears that the new policies for the development of festive nightlife and night-time economy contribute to maintaining social relations of domination.
Source: http://www.theses.fr/2022REIML002
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