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Annual surveys carried out by a French statistical institute between 1993 and 2002 show an increasing proportion of at least 25 years old university graduates in non-profit sector. Statistical inquiries about this sector lead to assess that the jobs performed by theses graduates were congruent with issues treated by state public policies of the 90’s, such as education, local development, culture and social services. Considering the similarity between functions of these graduates in social control and the one of their parents and considering too the cultural congruence of these functions with the profile of the state policies officials, this paper concludes that graduates increase in non-profit sector is one of the ways used by public service middle class to reproduce itself through policies.

Taking main sociological theories into consideration, this paper underlines the difficulties resulting from opposition between conscious and unconscious reasons in explaining individual actions. For political sciences, this issue is whether ideologies, and beliefs can be seen as instruments to support previous decisions or as their cognitive origin. The hesitations of Pierre Muller’s policies analysis framework on this subject and other patterns devoted by political scientists to the construction of public issues, lead to enhance the notion of ideological frame instead of referential, as Pierre Muller used it. By setting a medium level between referential and Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, this proposal aims to bring a better insight into the influence of ideological involvements and self-identification of relevant actors in policy making