Jean-Claude Passeron (born 26 November 1930) is a French sociologist and leader of social science studies.
As part of a mixed interdisciplinary team involving sociologists, historians, and anthropologists, he led the magazine Enquêtes.
In Paris, Jean-Claude Passeron studied philosophy and sociology at École Normale Supérieure.
In 1968, he was part of the group which founded le Centre Universitaire Expérimental de Vincennes, an avant-garde pedagogic project that today has become l'Université Paris VIII.
He also worked with Jean-Claude Chamboredon, Robert Castel, Claude Grignon, Michel Grumbach and François de Singly.