Contenu du sommaire

Pierre Birnbaum : Social framework and collective representations in the work of Durkheim, the example of Le socialisme. One can find in the work of Durkheim an unsystematic sociology of knowledge, of great complexity. In Le socialisme, in addition to the concept of function, it is possible to utilize the notion of cause to clarify the origin of this « manner of thinking ». One can also point out the existence of a double theory of causality which refutes the accusation of « materialism » made against Durkheim. In effect, « public conscience » as revealed here, is temporarily an autonomous source of causality, independent of the substratum.

Jean-Claude Combessie : Education and class values in American sociology. The purpose of this study is to underline the different levels at which empirical American studies use the notion of values to explain unequal school achievement of children belonging to different social classes. According to the level of aspiration expressed by the parents or the children, these studies establish the difference in ambition, disregarding objective, socially conditioned opportunities. A negative description of the values of lower social classes is given ; which in turn, invites the conclusion, that this process is voluntary. They justify unequal achievement by unequal ambition. Study of education in the family environment shows the valorization of the school as a non-autonomous element and logically dependent on a whole system of values. These values vary qualitatively according to social class. Studying the system of values in itself without relation to the objective characteristics of class, status and range of experience is not justified. When all these factors are considered the « voluntary » explanation is excluded. The article aims at ordering these empirical American studies in function of the coherence and realism of the type of explanation proposed.

Richard F. Hamilton : The mass support for « tough » military initiatives in the 1952 China case. Starting from a survey made during the 1952 elections, the author tries to identify the partisans of a « tough » policy toward China which was officially neutral, but sent supplies to Korea, then at war with the United States. Several tables show the percentage of attitudes « favorable to bombing » China (the « tough » solution) in relation with the characteristics of those interviewed. In general, the partisans of a « tough » solution are : well-off white protestants, assimilated catholics, and those who are conservative in economic matters and in the matter of civil rights for the Blacks. The two fundamental factors which determine this attitude are written information, made available through education, and the basic feeling of « self-righteousness » characteristic of white protestants. On the other hand, the groups which are exposed to a certain insecurity in their lives : the various minorities, the poor, the working class, have a tendency toward supporting a policy of negociation. At the end of the article, the author makes a comparison with the results of a similar study on attitudes toward the war in Vietnam.

Willem DOISE : Characteristics of perceptions and attitudes concerning international relations in five Common Market countries. This study covered five Common Market countries. A questionnaire which included different scales of the « likertian » type and various sociometric tests were used. 797 students in their last year at secondary catholic schools answered the questionnaire. The hypotheses to be verified were the following. 1) The perceptions within the Common Market will be within the « latin-germanic » dimension. 2) The students of the same socio-cultural and religious environment in the five countries studied will approach the larger international environment in the same way. 3) The difference of intensity in the different national groups studied will reflect the different attitudes recorded in public opinion polls. The three hypotheses have, in general, been verified. Mutual attitudes of French students and German students correlate more favorably than they should have according to our first hypothesis. On the other hand, the attitudes and perceptions relating to a larger international framework are homogeneous for most of the subjects. The French and Wallon students, however, often have reactions which are specific to them.