سماعين, حجريةحرشاية, ساميةغماري, طيبي2025-07-012025-07-012025-06-21http://dspace.univ-temouchent.edu.dz/handle/123456789/6301This study aims to explore the sociological dimensions of the appeal of the ""unemployment allowance"" in Algerian society and its impact on the strategies of university students, with a particular focus on graduates and those nearing graduation. The research's importance stems from the fact that unemployment is not merely an economic issue but extends to deep social and psychological dimensions. The unemployment allowance in Algeria was enacted as a social protection mechanism intended to provide security and stability for vulnerable groups. However, this study suggests that the allowance has a complex impact on students' perceptions of social status and dignity, potentially leading to shifts in their motivation to pursue their academic paths. The study adopts a sociological approach based on Michel Crozier's theoretical concepts related to the ""actor,"" ""system,"" and ""strategy."" It highlights that social protection, including the unemployment allowance, represents one of the mechanisms adopted by the Algerian state to integrate the unemployed. Nevertheless, despite their declared objectives, these policies induce transformations in individuals' perceptions of the values of work, education, and social status. The findings revealed variations in how students perceive unemployment allowance and its impact on their social status and dignity. A segment of the respondents expressed a feeling that receiving the allowance might diminish their value in the eyes of family and peers, indicating a contradiction between the state's goal of providing bureaucratic protection and how this affects students' individual and social identity. Conversely, some perceived the allowance as maintaining social stability and improving beneficiaries' financial situations, offering a form of social dignity by providing a financial income that alleviates burdens, even if it does not directly translate into employment. Gender-based comparison revealed distinct discrepancies; males generally evinced a predisposition towards leveraging the unemployment allowance at the cost of their academic pursuit. Conversely, most female respondents articulated a conviction that the symbolic prestige of a university degree retains significant value, thereby motivating them to persist in their studies and forgo the unemployment allowance. Comparison based on specializations also revealed differences in students' perceptions of social status and dignity. Social sciences students considered their specializations to be of little importance in the job market, increasing their likelihood of relying on the allowance. Meanwhile, arts and languages students showed a greater propensity to create ""entrepreneurial"" projects or integrate into employment, leading them to view the allowance either as the sole alternative to unemployment or as a motivator for entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the study indicates that the unemployment allowance facilitates access to healthcare and social security, enhancing beneficiaries' sense of security and stability. However, there are varying perceptions of dignity, with some believing that receiving the allowance affects the family and peers' view and does not preserve the dignity of a university degree holder, thereby diminishing the symbolic value of the university degree in prevailing societal discourse. Finally, the study highlights the impact of the university academic system (LMD) on academic disengagement. The lengthy study period, numerous assessments, and complex attendance and transition procedures constitute an academic and psychological burden that pushes some students to seek alternatives like unemployment allowance. This disengagement does not necessarily indicate a weakness in students' abilities but reflects ""strategies"" developed by actors to adapt to an unsuitable university environment and an unstable job market. This study presents a clear call for rethinking the relationship between higher education and the labor market in Algeria. Providing financial support alone is not a sufficient ""solution"" to the unemployment problem; it must be accompanied by structural reforms in the university system to make it more flexible, practical, and responsive to labor market needs. Enhancing pedagogical support, simplifying procedures, and adapting curricula will contribute to restoring confidence in the academic path as a means of achieving true social status and dignityotherUnemployment; Unemployment allowance; Students; University; Strategiesالبطالة؛ منحة البطالة؛ الطلبة؛ الجامعة؛ الاستراتيجياتThesis