Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)

Far from constituting a homogeneous category, the entity of the “convict” is fragmented according to administrative categorizations which organize social relations inside and outside camp walls. One such category, based on “race,” remains understudied. Depending on the year, between 20% and 60% of c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Marine Coquet
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: CNRS Éditions 2019-06-01
Series:L’Année du Maghreb
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/anneemaghreb/4569
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832581831880343552
author Marine Coquet
author_facet Marine Coquet
author_sort Marine Coquet
collection DOAJ
description Far from constituting a homogeneous category, the entity of the “convict” is fragmented according to administrative categorizations which organize social relations inside and outside camp walls. One such category, based on “race,” remains understudied. Depending on the year, between 20% and 60% of convicts transported to French Guiana were from France’s North African colonies and categorized as “Arabs.” Statistics recorded for organizational purposes by the penal administration make possible a study of “Arabs” in French Guiana. Cross-checked with publications from the period and administrative correspondence between penitentiary and Colonial Office, these figures put into perspective the effects of penal typologies on relations among the transported convicts. In contemporary writings by convicts, journalists or doctors, the “Arabs” appear especially when they assumed a role assisting prison guards. The punitive configuration of “convict,” “Arab”, and porte-clefs structured a unique situation that seems, a priori, to undermine the hierarchy of “races” commonly accepted in France. Through the figure of the “Arab” convict and the porte-clefs, this contribution interrogates the social organization of Guyanese bagnards.
format Article
id doaj-art-fad524a1488e4f7ea1df29ffee1847ba
institution Kabale University
issn 1952-8108
2109-9405
language fra
publishDate 2019-06-01
publisher CNRS Éditions
record_format Article
series L’Année du Maghreb
spelling doaj-art-fad524a1488e4f7ea1df29ffee1847ba2025-01-30T09:56:09ZfraCNRS ÉditionsL’Année du Maghreb1952-81082109-94052019-06-0120779210.4000/anneemaghreb.4569Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)Marine CoquetFar from constituting a homogeneous category, the entity of the “convict” is fragmented according to administrative categorizations which organize social relations inside and outside camp walls. One such category, based on “race,” remains understudied. Depending on the year, between 20% and 60% of convicts transported to French Guiana were from France’s North African colonies and categorized as “Arabs.” Statistics recorded for organizational purposes by the penal administration make possible a study of “Arabs” in French Guiana. Cross-checked with publications from the period and administrative correspondence between penitentiary and Colonial Office, these figures put into perspective the effects of penal typologies on relations among the transported convicts. In contemporary writings by convicts, journalists or doctors, the “Arabs” appear especially when they assumed a role assisting prison guards. The punitive configuration of “convict,” “Arab”, and porte-clefs structured a unique situation that seems, a priori, to undermine the hierarchy of “races” commonly accepted in France. Through the figure of the “Arab” convict and the porte-clefs, this contribution interrogates the social organization of Guyanese bagnards.https://journals.openedition.org/anneemaghreb/4569French GuianaconvictsArab convictsAlgerianpenitentiary staffporte-clefs
spellingShingle Marine Coquet
Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)
L’Année du Maghreb
French Guiana
convicts
Arab convicts
Algerian
penitentiary staff
porte-clefs
title Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)
title_full Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)
title_fullStr Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)
title_full_unstemmed Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)
title_short Bagnards, « arabes » et porte-clefs en Guyane : Naissance et usages d’un rôle pénal et colonial (1869-1938)
title_sort bagnards  arabes  et porte clefs en guyane naissance et usages d un role penal et colonial 1869 1938
topic French Guiana
convicts
Arab convicts
Algerian
penitentiary staff
porte-clefs
url https://journals.openedition.org/anneemaghreb/4569
work_keys_str_mv AT marinecoquet bagnardsarabesetporteclefsenguyanenaissanceetusagesdunrolepenaletcolonial18691938