Classi dirigenti e strutture dello Stato in Algeria: il contributo di Nāṣir Ǧābī

This article presents Ad-dawla wa an-nukhab (The State and the élites, 2008), a major work by Algerian sociologist Nāṣir Ğābī. The book offers an innovative analysis of Algeria’s postcolonial state and ruling classes, focusing on the legacy of colonialism and the internal fragmentation of the national elite. Ğābī argues that the state's dysfunction stems from the colonial education system, which shaped a divided middle class— split along linguistic and ideological lines—that reproduced elitist rivalries within post-independence institutions. Through a sociological approach, the book connects structural state weakness, social unrest, and political violence to class divisions and failed hegemonic projects. Despite its theoretical originality, Ğābī’s work remains little known in European scholarship. This contribution aims to highlight the relevance of Ad-dawla wa an-nukhab for researchers interested in state formation, class dynamics, and postcolonial politics in the Maghreb.