Jeux de miroir de la « politisation » : les acteurs associatifs de quartier à Casablanca

An examination of the career of several members of three neighborhood associations in Casablanca and the manner in which they themselves describe their actions reveals the intricacies of the associative space and political sphere in Morocco. By virtue of a mirror effect, the frontiers between these two universes are the object of continuous struggle. Associative action is sometimes constructed independently and sometimes in connection with "politics". It is thus drawn upon as a substitute for political participation, a tribune for marginalized actors or a local-level springboard and can lead to renegotiation of relations with the political realm. By virtue of the very existence of points of junction between associative, partisan, electoral, labor union and protest scenes, associational action exposes those involved to several types of participation. It endows them with practical and cognitive competencies, is an incentive for them to interact with various agencies of governmentality and encourages a circular reconversion of resources and know-how. Associational action may also give rise to a taste for "politics" and electoral competition or that encourage its participants to become aware of their responsibilities. From one situation to the next, it is the object of a range of definitions, involvements and (micro)strategies that are as vast as they are variable, both diachronically and synchronically.