Contenu du sommaire : Comptes rendus critiques

Abstract. — The present work deals with the problems of childhood — perception of the mountain, schooling, health — in the rural zones of the French mountains as they are officially defined. Four questionnaires have made it possible to approach the 10 to 11 year-olds, the teachers and parents and the elected members of the municipalities. The large number of replies has led to working on selected types.

Abstract. — From enquiries made with the help of questionnaires and drawings, the author tries to show the 10 to 11 year old child's perception of the mountain, living permanently in the rural parts of the French mountains. The child's mountain is not reducible to a North- Alpine model: strong regional differences are apparent. The child's mountain is a rural area before being one of altitude. School tends to inculcate a child with a more stereotyped vision of the moutain. Since for the child, the French moutains are composed of spaces differently perceived and experienced, according to the mass of moutains in a perspective of adjustment, such variations should be taken into consideration.

Abstract. — After briefly sketching the situation of the 10 to 11 year-olds child in the mountain village society, the author presents the specific features of schooling in the French mountain zone : shortened preschooling, predominance of small-sized one-class schools, instability of the teaching staff, lack of material means and excess fatigue due to the large amount of time spent in school transport. The regional differences in schooling can be seen in the contrast between those of the moutain masses of the Midi and those of the North, which are more urbanized and industrial. The author comes to the conclusion that children want to live and work in their own regions despite the fact that they do not get the necessary schoolastic encouragement to do so.

Summary. — Certain aspects in the live of the children in the French mountain zone, relating to their health and family environment are studied in chronological order as the children grow up. Thus, in succession, one comes upon the subject of advantages and handicaps surrounding the perinatal period, infancy, then school up to the age of eleven at the end of primary Education. The available sanitary information transmitted and existing sanitary equipment are largely determined by a particulary fragile demographical social and economic environment. But healt goes beyond the « medical » limits and the organisation of spare-time activities, the insertion into village environment and alimentary behaviour are factors wich weigh heavily on the preservation of a « physical, mental and social well- being ». Motions have been put forward, joining those issuing from the report and analysis of the mountain school : the laws of competition and rentability are accumulating the obstacles to the development of mountain economy and its social environment ; specific and decentralised solutions are necessary wich are very demanding on the public services and rely on the will and dynamism of the mountain populations.