Assistéassistée

Assistéassistée is a neologism in French that blends the masculine noun assisté and the feminine assistée to designate a person who benefits from social assistance. The term is not part of official policy language; it appears mainly in commentary, sociolinguistic studies, and some political discourse as a way to signal that welfare dependency concerns people of all genders and to draw attention to gendered aspects of social protection.

Usage and variants are not standardized. It is typically used as a stand-in for “a welfare recipient” in a gender-inclusive or gender-discourse context. Variants and stylistic practices include assisté/assistée or assisté·e to indicate both genders. Because it is informal and sometimes polemical, its reception varies: some view it as a useful shorthand for analyzing gendered dimensions of welfare, while others see it as stigmatizing.

Context and policy language tend to prefer neutral terms. Common official expressions include bénéficiaire des prestations sociales (beneficiary of social benefits) or personne en situation de précarité. In sociological or political analysis, assistéassistée may be discussed as part of debates about activation policies, the legitimacy of the welfare state, and the stigma attached to recipients. The term illustrates how language around welfare can reflect and reinforce gendered assumptions and political positions.

See also: welfare state, social assistance, stigma, activation policy.