Contenu du sommaire

Lucien Karpik : Sociology, political economy and the goals of production organizations. The goals of production organizations represent a new subject of study. For the conceptual tools accounting for the politics of large enterprises which possess a wide autonomy in relation to economic constraints are not to be found in the writings of Marx, Weber, or in conventional economy. A critical study of both the contemporary sociological and economical analyses of this problem, and the attempt to determine the validity criteria of the results show the importance of further knowledge. In any case the systematic study of the relations between environment and the politics of firms and their internal power relations remain fragmentary; it implies the elaboration of analytical tools which are briefly set forth here and are still temporary.

Lucie Tanguy : The State and the School. Private schooling in France. This study means to show that the question of the status of school in France (whether public or private), though usually taken for a survival of the ideological quarrel between clericalism and undenominationalism which goes back to the transformation of primary schools into a public service, at the end of the 19th century, has in fact a quite different meaning. After giving a brief historical outline the author analyses the law concerning the «Relationships between the State and private institutions» as well as the circumstances involved in the elaboration of this legislation. She is thus able to show that the latter corresponds to the establishment by the State of private schooling. In order to clearly bring out the objective of the State in founding a private schooling sector based on the existing catholic schools, it seemed necessary (beyond the analysis of the discourses made by the different political, social and religious groups implied in the conflict) to show the position held by the private schools within the school system, to describe their organization and compare their social composition to that of the State schools and also to examine the role that they play in technical education.

Marc-Alain Descamps : Disaster and responsability. Every disaster is followed by a lawsuit. This must mean that human responsability is involved even in natural processes. The situation arises from the growing interpenetration between nature's and man's action. The domination of nature by man increases his responsibilities. Penal law however is not at all fit for these problems. The penal code deals only with punishment of faults: if there is no fault, there is no responsibility. The study of lawsuits shows that the judges follow another principle, tat of solidarity and look for a solvent responsible party that must later be found guilty. If no ground for prosecution is found, it becomes impossible to suit for damages. The psycho-sociological study of disasters, which is trying to get organised, is made difficult by man's fears and phantasms as to this subject.

Henri Lasserre : Religion and upward mobility: the case of the Christian workers. Considering that the minority of workers attending church is characterized by a rather swift upward mobility, the author endeavours to define the limits within which church-membership plays a determining role in the upward mobility process. Starting from the data given by a qualitative survey based on a sample of 70 interviews in the city of Lyon, he shows that religious motivations underlie ascetic attitudes, in accordance with the weberien model. He further points out that this asceticism in linked to an optimistic vision of the opportunities of upward mobility which is related to the social origin (non-worker) of most of those interviewed. Belonging to the working class against their will, they are ready to make every sacrifice to break through from their present position. This explains their attraction to ethical and religious systems exalting effort and temperance.