Sociology All books

Bertrand Roehner
Social cohesion
The methodology of physics is now being applied to the social sciences. Social cohesion, which assures social stability and continuity, is both observable and measurable. It may be observed in events that repeat: in test events such as the destruction of the mosque in Ayodhya, India (1992), and of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan (2001); in catastrophes such as the Great Fire of London (1666), the earthquakes and fires of San Francisco (1906) and Tokyo (1923); in the riots of rejection in Lawrence, Mass., U.S.A. (1984), and in Aigues-Mortes, France (1893); in the protest riots in Brixton, U.K. (1981); and in resistance to foreign occupation, as in France (1940). Social cohesion can be measured through the reactions of a given society in the aftermath of a shock: for example, in the number of Hindu temples that were burned down or mosques that were destroyed following the first two test events listed above. By borrowing the methods of physics, social scientists have been able to make predictions in their own field. Bertrand Roehner is a member of the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics at Pierre et Marie Curie-University of Paris VII. He is the author of Un siècle de commerce du blé en France (Economica), Theory of Markets (Springer), Application of Physics in Economic Modelling, Pattern and Repertoire in History (Harvard University Press) and Separatism and Integration (Rowman and Littlefield).

Anne Marcovich
What do societies dream of ?
Why do societies change? How, through countless transformations, do they manage to maintain their own identity? With the help of the many resources provided by the social sciences, history, sociology, social psychology, anthropology and economics, Anne Marcovich has tried to identify the principle of change within a framework of continuity that characterises the evolution of societies. Anne Marcovich is a researcher in the social sciences.

Monique Sicard
The Making of the Image
It was during the Renaissance that images and pictures were first used by anatomists, microscopists, and astronomers as scientific tools. In that era, scientific images served as a kind of inventory of the known world. In the 19th century, the popularization of scientific ideas gave science a new vigor. Photographic images gave science a new reality, explaining and legitimizing scientific concepts--movement, for example--to a fascinated public. In our days, the scientific image is often a construction--helping us to represent objects and ideas that, like fractals or black holes, cannot be defined through actual observation. Monique Sicard is Projects Director at CNRS Images Média.

Jacques Bouveresse, Daniel Roche
Freedom Through Knowledge: Pierre Bourdieu, 1930-2002 (Travaux du Collège de France)
Gathered in this volume are the texts of lectures given in memory of Pierre Bourdieu at an international colloquium held on 26-27 June 2003 and jointly organised by the Collège de France and the Ecole Normale Supérieure, with the backing of the Hugot Foundation.

Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee
Machine, Platform, Crowd: Harnessing Our Digital Future
How does the digital revolution enable a new integration between the human mind and machines?

Alain Peyrefitte, Raymond Boudon, Pierre Chaunu
Values and Modernity Expanding on Alain Peyrefitte
With The Society of Confidence, and Of the Economic Miracle, Alain Peyrefitte has illustrated that growth is not primarily founded on the material wealth of a nation, capital, or even on work. Development is intrinsically linked to mentalities and values, which are the essential elements of economic, political and social modernity. Using this thesis as a starting point, the Institute of France organised a conference which brought together economic and technological historians, sociologists, criminologists, and experts from across the world, amongst which were R.Boudon, S.Eisenstadt, D.Landes, and S.Lipset. The wide spectrum of debate runs from the history of religious mentalities (P. Chaunu, J.Delumeau), to penal philosophy (D. Szabo). The comparative outlook of this book allows the reader an insight into the hidden depths of confidence, from Switzerland (J.-F. Bergier), to Japan (Terushi Hara), right through to the Third World (P. Moussa).

Irène Théry
From Marriage to Divorce Justice and Private Life
Can dual parental responsibility outside marriage be recognized as a principle by law? I. Théry believes that all controversies on divorce are basically debates on marriage. Our representations of the relationships between the individual and society, the private and public realms, are destabilized in this insecure period of unmarriage . The psycho-social drift of justice increases further when we consider the true sufferers of divorce court battles: the children.

Dominique Schnapper
Sociological Reflection on the Jewish Condition
Following the “days of suspicion” initiated in 1967 by the speech of General de Gaulle, which put an end to a form of accord between France and the State of Israel...

Robert Rochefort
A Consumer Society
This book demonstrates how with households equipped and individuals saturated, consumption must respond to other, more immaterial needs. The new markets are those which can reassure people : healthcare, ecology, land, family and even solidarity.

Michel Savy
New Spaces, New Movements Future Mobility
An innovative approach to such essential issues as work, housing and information

Monique Dagnaud, Jean-Laurent Cassely
The Overeducated Generation The 20% Who Are Transforming France
The reconfigurations around education probably offer the most relevant angle of observation for understanding contemporary societies, and to decipher the popular resentment against the world of the educated elite.

Anne Muxel
The Other at a Distance When a Pandemic Affects Intimacy
A sociological analysis that looks in depth at the upheavals brought about by the pandemic that have affected the intimate side of our existence and our relationships with others.

Jean Picq
Religious Freedom in the French Republic Restoring the Spirit of French Secularism
‘Laïcité’ has been at the heart of numerous debates in France. The author argues here for a multifaceted, open secularism.

Philippe Moati
The Sick Hyperconsumer Society
Hyperconsumption undermines social cohesion and “living together”

Gérard Bléandonu
What do our children dream ?
When does the foetus start to dream? What are its early dreams? What is the function of infant dreams? What is the impact of nightmares? How do dreams evolve during adolescence? Gérard Bléandonu brings to these questions his experience as a psychotherapist specialising in children suffering from psychological difficulties. The author also makes use of recent findings in neuro-physiology which have improved our understanding of dream mechanisms. Gérard Bléandonu is a psychiatrist and head of Child Psychiatry at the regional hospital of Savoie, France. He is the author of numerous works on child and adolescent psychiatry.

Monique Dagnaud
The Californian Paradigm How the spirit of cooperation can change the world
An original reflexion on California as a new social and political model. A high-quality argument on the possibility of an alternative economy and society that is more cooperative and egalitarian.

Guillaume Cerutti
The Cultural Policy : A 21st Century Challenge Twenty Proposals
Though our certainties may waver as we move toward an uncertain economic and social future, culture remains for France an exceptional asset and a critical issue, both at home and internationally.

Georges Bensoussan
The Jews of the Arab World The Forbidden Question
A book written by a historian, a recognized specialist in Jewish-Arab relations. A history book that also sheds light on current political stakes and societal issues. The discourse contradicts what is generally heard on the subject, and which provides the historical elements needed for a better understanding of the contemporary situation.

Barbara Polla
The New Feminisms Struggles and Dreams in the Post-Weinstein Era
New light shed on feminism by a woman involved in the women’s movement. To find oneself in a galaxy of feminist currents. A reflection on the status of women.

Gilles Mentré
Democracy For a Redistribution of Power
Gilles Mentré is a man whose ambition is as great as his innovative ideas. He has a strong personality, a network, and a strength of conviction that will ensure a strong promotional campaign.

Jean-Louis André
Eating – What a Story!
A book for those who are interested in food and cuisine as social phenomena in contemporary history, from a unique angle.










