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Cet article aborde les formes alternatives de mobilisation des familles d’origine populaire permettant de maintenir des projets de mobilité sociale, face à des aspirations souvent déçues à travers la réussite scolaire. Nous traitons plus particulièrement de la pratique du football, envisagée comme un éventuel recours à une relégation scolaire et sociale, à partir de l’étude de cas d’un père, Samir, engagé corps et âme dans la réussite footballistique de son fils âgé de 14 ans. À l’aune de sa trajectoire sociale, nous analyserons ses efforts constants pour placer son fils dans un club d’excellence. Nous mettrons alors en évidence ses difficultés à se soumettre aux exigences de la sélection sportive qui entravent leur entreprise de réhabilitation sociale.

« Making something valuable with football » : a family strategy to get into the professional football worldThis paper pays attention to the alternative strategies of working class families towards the social mobility of their children, whose aspirations cannot usually be fulfilled through the state school system. Football practice is especially seen as a possible escape from social relegation. Based on a case study of a father, Samir, devoted to the football career of his 14 years old son, this paper focuses on his steadfast efforts to help him to get into a highly selective professional football institution. It explores Samir’s difficulties to submit himself to this selectiveness, which jeopardizes their chances of social elevation.The two playoff games for the Football World Cup 2010 between Turkey and Armenia gave rise to the first official travels of the two heads of state in the country of the other while their diplomatic relations had been severed since 1991. The hopes raised by these two visits have caused heated debate in Turkish society and revived painful and unresolved questions about the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian minority in Turkey. This paper analyzes the event and tries to capture the social and political significance of emotion it created.