Contenu du sommaire : Au guichet : savoir et pouvoir dans l'ordinaire administratif

Criminal sentencing is currently affected by the growth of criminological approaches which tend to support flow management and risk management in relation to recidivism. For those in the probation service who supervise convicted prisoners, these approaches can be considered as a constraint, threatening probation worker independence under the guise of rationalisation, but also as an opportunity that some have tried to put to good use in terms of their professional development.

By taking school appeals procedure with regard to students' annual progression as its starting point, this article examines the range of competencies at work in the relationship between school representatives and school stakeholders. The appeals process initially highlights how different knowledge bases are at odds in the definition of the “student's vocation”. The transformation of these competing knowledge bases into a set of summary report recommendations illustrates both the legitimate authority of the chair of the appeals committee I.e. the head teacher, and his or her pivotal role in institutional maintenance.

This article examines the impact of the recent reorganisation of professional practice amongst job centre staff by the Service Public de l'Emploi (equivalent to Jobcentre Plus in the uk). It focuses on the introduction of new client relations framework tools that, for example, can place unemployed workers in various categories. It also highlights the dual thrust of the notion of employability: 1) the segmentation of unemployed workers by directing them towards “differentiated” services and 2) the negotiation of the criteria relating to a reasonable job offer, thereby contributing to the reduction in the choices available to unemployed workers throughout their involvement with the job centre. As a consequence of this new knowledge base, job centre staff has wavered between social compromise and the strict application of rules.

This article examines the process of allocating Schengen visas and highlights the dominance of local practical knowledge over established knowledge. In contrast to the legal texts that refer to “migratory risk” and “irregular immigration”, examining the local practices followed by consular staff underlines another risk aspect which for the staff concerned warrants significantly more attention I.e. the risk of legal settlement accompanied by the inevitable access to social services once the entitlement to enter a European country has been obtained.

Based on an ethnographical survey conducted within the emergency services in France, this article shows how emergency call centre workers handle incoming calls according to established categories and commit to both a casuistry and an unofficial, progressive typology of callers and incidents. The article places the emphasis on standardising the individualisation of calls via the manipulation of standard categories in order to individualise responses and via the development of response frameworks that can be applied in the management of unexpected situations on the ground.

This article focuses on action taken prior to administrative cases covered by the implementation of the dalo (Droit Au Logement Opposable [enforceable right to housing]). First it shows that the knowledge required to exert a right is possessed and committed to in varying degrees by claimants, depending on their submission to the relevant administrative body and on those responsible for helping them in their efforts. Then it makes a distinction between different types of feelings of competence that influence the obtention of “priority status” and hence the possibility of recourse to administrative law procedures.

What does it mean to be a sociologist when the bulk of that person's work involves the assessment of public policy? Is it possible to combine the “outsidedness” of the sociologist's viewpoint with an immersion in the issues affecting a commissioning body? This article considers both these questions in relation to the role of a consultant sociologist within a regional authority setting. It explores how the issues facing a particular body can be interpreted and expanded in such a way that the sociologist's proposed solutions also include inherent practical and policy implications.