Archives de catégorie : Publications

Infrastrukturelle Formen. Forminvestitionen, boundary work und plurale Rechtfertigungen am Beispiel der mobilen Nahversorgung

Infrastructural Forms. Form Investments, Boundary Work, and Plural Justification – The Example of Mobile Rural Supply

Philipp Knopp (2026)

Soziale Welt, 77(1): 3-33

Zusammenfassung. In aktuellen sozialwissenschaftlichen Debatten werden herkömmliche Infrastrukturbegriffe zunehmend infrage gestellt, weil sie einen zu engen Fokus auf dauerhafte und räumlich weit ausgedehnte Systeme setzen, die einer wohlfahrtsstaatlichen Idee des Gemeinwohls dienen. Werden diese Annahmen nicht vorausgesetzt, stellt sich die Frage, wie in räumlicher und zeitlicher Hinsicht vielfältige Versorgungsleistungen koordiniert werden und wie ihre Begren- zungen gerechtfertigt werden. Aufbauend auf der neopragmatistischen Theorie der Forminvestition und Rechtfertigungsordnungen entwickelt dieser Beitrag daher das Konzept der infrastrukturellen Form. Die mobile Nahversorgung im ländlichen Raum dient als exemplarischer Fall für flexible Infrastrukturen, die unter prekären Bedingungen von nicht-staatlichen Akteur:innen getragen werden. In der mobilen Nahversorgung engagieren sich neben den privaten Betrieben auch Dorfbevölkerungen und Kommunen aktiv in der Aufrechterhaltung des Angebots. Die Tour der Nahversorger:innen ist Gegenstand und Medium von Aushandlungen um Forminvestitionen. Dabei regulieren zeitliche und räumliche Grenzziehungen (boundary work) diese Aufwendungen fortlaufend, bewirken aber auch soziale Exk- lusionen. Die Stabilisierung der Tour wird damit zur logistischen, aber vor allem auch zur moralischen Herausforderung. In moralischen Kompromissen beziehen sich die Betreiber:innen auf plurale Rechtfertigungsordnungen – insbesondere auf Markt-, Industrie-, Handwerks- und Gemeinwohlkonventionen. Das Konzept der infrastrukturellen Form lenkt den Blick somit auf das, was klassische Vorstellungen von Infrastrukturen verdecken: prekäre und begrenzte Raum- und Zeitbezüge, vielfältige Investitionen und plurale Rechtfertigungen.

Abstract. In current sociological debates, traditional concepts of infrastructure are increasingly being questioned because they focus too narrowly on permanent and spatially extensive systems that serve a welfare state’s idea of the common good. If these assumptions are not taken for granted, the question arises how spatially and temporally diverse infrastructures are coordinated and how the flexible boundaries of efforts for their maintenance are justified. In order to better account for the diversity of infrastructures, this article develops the concept of infrastructural form, building on the neo-pragmatist theory of form investment and orders of worth. Mobile supply in rural areas serves as an exemplary case of flexible infrastructure that is supported by non-state actors under precarious conditions. It is shown that, in addition to the private providers, villagers and local authorities are actively invested in maintaining the supply. The supplier’s tour is subject to boundary work and medium for negotiating form investments. Temporal and spatial boundaries continuously regulate expenses, but also cause exclusions. Stabilizing the tour thus becomes a logistical, but above all a moral challenge, in which providers refer to pluralistic orders of worth – in particular market, industry, craft and civic conventions. The concept of infrastructural form thus draws attention to what modernist concepts of infrastructure obscure: precarious and flexible spatial and temporal boundaries, diverse form investments and plural justifications.

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An unintended key indicator: The emergence of the Königstein Key in German federalism

Fabian Schmid & Walter Bartl (2026)

Social science Information, 65(1), pp. 91-119. Open access

Abstract. This article conceptualizes key indicators as institutionalized measures that are used collectively, have acquired a conventional symbolic meaning, and are of structural relevance for at least one social field. While such indicators are often assumed to be intentionally designed, we highlight unintentional emergent formation processes as a plausible and underexplored explanation. Emergent indicator formation is a process through which numbers gain practical relevance in decision-making first and are attributed symbolic meaning only afterward in public disputes. Empirically, the article presents the case of the Königstein Key, which is technically an additive index of intuitively intelligible states’ features that has become a key indicator in diverse allocation schemes of German federalism. We propose an explanatory model of an emergent, unintended formation process based on three arguments: predisposing features of the indicator itself, proven practical use, and the accrual of normative interpretations in political and public discourse. Its initial adoption in contentious negotiations about horizontal federal burden-sharing later facilitated its pragmatic adoption in various new tasks. In the course of its institutionalization as a standard instrument, interpretations in highly politicized public situations translated it into a rather generalized symbol of territorial justice at the national level. Several test situations during its trajectory reveal constitutive features of this key indicator that could also inform intentional indicator design.

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Legitimizing numbers: a historical sociology of statistical internationalization during the construction of Republican Turkey

Aykiz Dogan (2026)

Turkish Studies, pp. 1-29.

Abstract. This article examines how states use statistics to reinforce legitimacy and international recognition, focusing on the national statistical institute’s creation in early republican Turkey. It argues that the Kemalist government strategically invested in an internationally legible statistical system to position Turkey as a modern sovereign state. Statistics functioned both as a policy tool and a symbolic system for nation building. Analyzing this reform within an emerging international system of comparability and expertise, with tensions aroundambition, sovereignty, and credibility, the article contributes to debates on the politics of quantification, showing how states use statistics not just for bureaucratic control but to negotiate agency within global hierarchies.”

Extract: “Historical sociology has shown that the history of statistics is inseparable from the history of state power. With the rise of the nation-state as the dominant political model and the parallel proliferation of statistical offices, quantification policies became constitutive of national imaginaries. Desrosières emphasizes that ‘statistics do not merely ‘reflect’ national reality but also ‘establish’ it, in the same way as a constitution, national holidays, anthems, flags, school textbooks, and historical monuments,’ because the ‘nation is not only a politically unified space, but also a common cognitive space, observed and described through consistent interpretative frameworks.’ National statistics indeed do not imply just counting, but rather establishing shared categories and conventions that render such enumeration meaningful. Statistics thus encompass ‘the various forces that ‘hold’ a national community together’, being integral to the state’s symbolic power and authority.
The emergence of national statistical histories from the late nineteenth century reflects this dynamic. Desrosières notes that these narratives presented statistical practices in chronological and institutional terms, often tracing back to the earliest administrative operations, framing the creation of offices, censuses, and statistical compilations as markers of a nation’s longevity and greatness.19Hence, a state’s statistical activity and its long institutional history became arguments for the stability and legitimacy of the nation itself.” (p. 4)

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Grand manuel de l’insertion. Politiques, dispositifs et acteurs

The Handbook of Integration: Policies, Programs, and Stakeholders

Cédric Frétigné & Philippe Semenowicz (2026)

Paris : Dunod

Demazière, D. (2026). Les chômeurs de longue durée : à distance de l’emploi ? [The long-term unemployed: distant from employment?] In Frétigné, C., Semenowicz, P. Grand manuel de l’insertion. Dunod, 29-44.

Extrait: “L’attention portée aux critères de sélection à l’embauche aboutit à revisiter la notion d’employabilité et à la réévaluer s’agissant des chômeurs de longue durée. La durée de chômage est d’autant plus défavorable pour l’accès à l’emploi qu’elle est une caractéristique aisément perceptible : elle alimente le syndrome du « trou dans le CV » qui rebute nombre de recruteurs, qui y voient un signal de faible employabilité. La valeur d’employabilité de certains signes extérieurs est plus aisément réévaluée – à la hausse – notamment à la sortie de stages de formation, comme c’est le cas pour le diplôme ou le niveau de formation, pour la qualification ou l’affiliation à un métier. Ce processus de réévaluation de l’employabilité est favorisé par l’action d’intermédiaires de l’insertion – des formateurs, des conseillers, et d’autres professionnels – qui, quand ils ont des contacts avec les employeurs, peuvent recommander des candidats a priori faiblement employables et favoriser ainsi leur accès à l’emploi. Ce rôle est toutefois fortement indexé sur la proximité de ces intermédiaires avec des employeurs, et sur l’existence de relations de confiance liant ces acteurs. Enracinée dans l’économie des conventions, cette approche a donné lieu au cours des trente dernières années à de très nombreux travaux, inaugurés par Bessy et Eymard-Duvernay (1997).”

The focus on hiring criteria leads to a reexamination of the concept of employability and a reassessment of it as it pertains to the long-term unemployed. The duration of unemployment is all the more detrimental to access to employment because it is an easily noticeable characteristic: it fuels the “gap in the resume” syndrome, which deters many recruiters, who see it as a sign of low employability. The employability value of certain external indicators is more easily reassessed—upward—particularly upon completion of training programs, as is the case with a degree or level of education, a qualification, or membership in a trade. This process of reevaluating employability is facilitated by the work of employment intermediaries—trainers, counselors, and other professionals—who, when they have contacts with employers, can recommend candidates who are initially considered less employable and thus help them gain access to employment. This role, however, is heavily dependent on the intermediaries’ proximity to employers and on the existence of trusting relationships between these actors. Rooted in the economics of conventions, this approach has given rise over the past thirty years to a vast body of research, pioneered by Bessy and Eymard-Duvernay (1997).

Fretel, A. (2026). L’accompagnement entre pratiques et impératifs normatifs. [Support Measures Between Practice and Regulatory Requirements] In Frétigné, C., Semenowicz, P. Grand manuel de l’insertion. Dunod, 279-297.

Extrait: “Au-delà de ces effets globaux, l’introduction de sanctions s’avère avoir un effet négatif sur le retour à l’emploi des moins qualifiés car la nécessité de produire des preuves de sa recherche d’emploi conduit à une substitution des canaux de recherche d’emploi en favorisant les canaux formels par rapport aux canaux informels (Marchal et Rieucau, 2010) ; or les moins qualifiés ont une probabilité plus grande d’être recrutés via les canaux informels (Larquier et Rieucau, 2017) et, en outre, pour les personnes peu qualifiées, la confrontation avec la partie formelle du recrutement produit un très fort effet d’auto-sélection et de sélection.”

Beyond these overall effects, the introduction of sanctions has been found to have a negative impact on the return to employment of the least-qualified, as the requirement to provide proof of job search leads to a shift in job search channels, favoring formal channels over informal ones (Marchal and Rieucau, 2010); yet the least qualified are more likely to be recruited through informal channels (Larquier and Rieucau, 2017); furthermore, for low-skilled individuals, engagement with the formal recruitment process produces a very strong self-selection and selection effect.

Duclos, L. (2026). La médiation active : accompagner l’expérience employeur pour rendre le recrutement plus inclusif. [Active mediation: supporting the employer experience to make recruitment more inclusive]. In Frétigné, C., Semenowicz, P. Grand manuel de l’insertion. Dunod, 299-316.

Extrait: “On sait « la faible probabilité que les chômeurs soient insérés dans (des) réseaux du fait même de leur statut, et les représentations défavorables à leurs égards des personnes qui recrutent par leur biais » (Fondeur et Minni, 2020) ; ce qui nous invite généralement à leur attribuer un rôle marginal – statistiquement parlant – dans le recrutement des publics précarisés. Pour autant, tout un lot de circonstances peut jouer en faveur de l’accès à l’emploi de ces publics dans le cadre de « marchés ouverts » (Larquier et Rieucau, 2020) et de proximité. Les entreprises, peuvent être prêtes de fait à accueillir un « tout-venant » ; elles peuvent être, pour certains emplois, sensibles à la recommandation de personnes de confiance, indifférentes aux diplômes. Bien souvent, les entreprises établissent – pour le meilleur comme pour le pire – des conjectures sur la capacité à occuper un emploi qui passent par l’appréciation in situ de qualités sans lien avec les éléments figurant ordinairement au CV, décelées à l’occasion de contacts directs, d’échanges verbaux ou de mises en situation.”

It is well known that “unemployed individuals are unlikely to be integrated into networks precisely because of their status, and that recruiters tend to view them unfavorably” (Fondeur and Minni, 2020); this generally leads us to assign them a marginal role—statistically speaking—in the recruitment of vulnerable populations. Nevertheless, a whole range of circumstances can work in favor of these groups’ access to employment within the framework of “open markets” (Larquier and Rieucau, 2020) and local networks. Companies may in fact be willing to hire “anyone who comes along”; for certain jobs, they may be receptive to recommendations from trusted individuals and indifferent to academic credentials. Very often, companies make—for better or worse—assumptions about a person’s ability to hold a job based on an on-site assessment of qualities unrelated to the information typically found on a resume, qualities identified through direct contact, verbal exchanges, or role-playing exercises.

Pillon, J.M. (2026). Conseillers et conseillères face à leurs publics : la paradoxale hégémonie des pratiques d’accompagnement. [Counselors and Their Clients: The Paradoxical Dominance of Support Practices] In Frétigné, C., Semenowicz, P. Grand manuel de l’insertion. Dunod, 373-384. 

Extrait: “La pertinence de la notion de parcours et son usage constant par les acteurs et les actrices de l’emploi se trouvent pourtant détrompés par l’observation des pratiques mêmes des professionnels. Les conseillers et les conseillères témoignent davantage, à travers leurs pratiques, d’une division institutionnelle du travail mêlant différents critères de partage du public, pour ne pas dire de tri (Benarrosh, 2000). L’on peut isoler deux formes principales de dérogation à la doctrine du parcours dans le travail des conseillers et des conseillères. D’une part, chaque institution concentre son action sur les personnes jugées les plus employables de son segment. D’autre part, les moins employables de chaque segment se trouvent relativement évincés des programmes d’accompagnement. L’accumulation de ces procédures de sélection à l’entrée des différentes structures conduit à un déplacement du public de l’insertion vers les franges les plus demandées de la population privée d’emploi (Fretel et al., 2016).”

The relevance of the concept of “career path” and its constant use by employment professionals are, however, contradicted by an observation of the professionals’ actual practices. Through their practices, career counselors demonstrate an institutional division of labor that combines various criteria for segmenting the public—if not outright sorting it (Benarrosh, 2000). Two main forms of deviation from the “pathway” doctrine can be identified in the work of counselors. On the one hand, each institution focuses its efforts on the individuals deemed most employable within its segment. On the other hand, the least employable individuals in each segment find themselves relatively excluded from support programs. The accumulation of these selection procedures at the entry point of the various structures leads to a shift in the target population from those seeking integration toward the most in-demand segments of the unemployed population (Fretel et al., 2016).

Gayot, O. (2026). Les facilitateurs des clauses sociales : des acteurs techniques aux effets politiques. [Facilitators of social clauses: from technical actors to political agents] In Frétigné, C., Semenowicz, P. Grand manuel de l’insertion. Dunod, 435-453.

Extrait: “La définition locale de l’insertion est réalisée à partir de « profils », construits à l’aide de l’agrégation de différents critères valorisés par les facilitateurs. Les critères retenus par les facilitateurs sont majoritairement liés à ceux des publics cibles des collectivités ou du SPEL. Ils peuvent également être liés à des considérations personnelles relatives à une « bonne » insertion (ponctualité des personnes, niveau de langage, investissement dans la recherche d’emploi, etc.). En effectuant une sélection des critères permettant de valoriser une personne comme étant « en insertion », les facilitateurs des clauses sociales effectuent un « tri des chômeurs » (De Larquier et Monchatre, 2014) sur le territoire. Ce tri implique alors une réduction de la capacité d’accès aux clauses sociales pour certains publics.”

The local definition of integration is based on “profiles” developed by combining various criteria identified by the facilitators. The criteria selected by facilitators are primarily linked to those of the target groups of local authorities or the SPEL. They may also be linked to personal considerations regarding “successful” integration (punctuality, language proficiency, commitment to job search, etc.). By selecting criteria that allow a person to be classified as “in the integration process,” social clause facilitators effectively “sort the unemployed” (Larquier and Monchatre, 2014) within the region. This sorting process consequently limits access to social clauses for certain groups.

Farvaque, N. (2026). Les chargés de relation entreprises : entrer en relation avec les entreprises au service de l’insertion des publics accompagnés. [Corporate Relations Officers: Building Relationships with Businesses to Support the Integration of People We Serve] In Frétigné, C., Semenowicz, P. Grand manuel de l’insertion. Dunod, 455-470.

Extrait: “Pour entrer en relation avec les entreprises, les chargés de relations entreprises peuvent utiliser différents outils et supports, agissant comme des « dispositifs d’intéressement », c’est-à-dire permettant de satisfaire l’intérêt de chaque partie (Eymard-Duvernay et Marchal, 1994). L’offre de service des acteurs de l’insertion cherche à provoquer un intéressement des employeurs, en répondant à leurs besoins notamment sur le volet du recrutement. Les employeurs ne sont pas nécessairement des experts du recrutement. On peut interroger à ce sujet, de façon théorique, leur « employeurabilité » comme on interroge l’« employabilité » des personnes en insertion (Duclos, 2007). Les échecs de recrutement sont nombreux. Le rôle des intermédiaires est ici d’intervenir afin de réduire l’incertitude et d’apporter des aides de nature informationnelle (Bureau et Marchal, 2009).”

To establish relationships with businesses, corporate relations officers can use various tools and resources that serve as “incentive mechanisms,” meaning they satisfy the interests of all parties involved (Eymard-Duvernay and Marchal, 1994). The services offered by employment placement agencies aim to attract employers by addressing their needs, particularly in the area of recruitment. Employers are not necessarily recruitment experts. One might theoretically question their “employability” in this regard, just as one questions the “employability” of individuals in the workforce integration process (Duclos, 2007). Recruitment failures are common. The role of intermediaries here is to intervene to reduce uncertainty and provide informational support (Bureau and Marchal, 2009).

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Encruzilhando sociologias e antropologias: o (possível) diálogo entre Laurent Thévenot e a “escola antropológica de niterói”

Crossing sociologies and anthropologies: the (possible) dialogue between Laurent Thévenot and the “anthropological school of niterói”

Fabio Reis Mota (2026)

Sociologia & Antropologia, 16(1). Open access

Resumo. Este ensaio busca delinear e entrecruzar um diálogo (possível) entre a sociologia pragmática de Laurent Thévenot e a “Escola Antropológica de Niterói”, na qual tomo como objeto central da análise o livro de autoria de Arno Vogel, Marco Antonio da Silva Mello e Flavio Pessoa, Galinha D´Angola. Trata-se de uma operação interpretativa do autor do ensaio com a finalidade de buscar explicitar linhas epistemológicas comuns. Desse modo, buscarei contribuir para que o público brasileiro disponha elementos suplementares para o refinamento do entendimento da potencialidade da sociologia de Laurent Thévenot, observando questões situadas no Brasil, bem como para evidenciar a originalidade da antropologia brasileira e sua capacidade de forjar quadros teóricos mais amplos.”

Abstract. This essay seeks to delineate and cross-reference a possible dialogue between Laurent Thévenot’s pragmatic sociology and the “Anthropological School of Niterói,” in which I take as the central object of analysis the book written by Arno Vogel, Marco Antonio da Silva Mello, and Flavio Pessoa Galinha D´Angola. This interpretative exercise seeks to explain common epistemological lines. Thus, I seek to contribute to providing the Brazilian public additional elements for refining their understanding of the potential of Laurent Thévenot’s sociology in light of issues in Brazil and to show the originality of Brazilian anthropology and its capacity to forge broader theoretical frameworks.

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Entre os investimentos de forma e os modos de normatividade: diálogos e contribuições de Laurent Thévenot para pesquisas sobre identidades étnicas no Brasil

On investments in forms and modes of normativity: Laurent Thévenot’s dialogues and contributions to ethnic identities research in Brazil

Daniela Velásquez (2026)

Sociologia & Antropologia, 16(1). Open access

Resumo. Este artigo propõe discutir os processos de reconhecimento da identidade quilombola no Brasil à luz da sociologia pragmática e, mais especificamente, das contribuições teóricas de Laurent Thévenot. Para tal, lanço mão de dois conceitos-chave por ele desenvolvidos em diferentes momentos da sua trajetória: o de investimento de forma (1986) e o de modos de normatividade (2019). Ao explorar a fundo o caso do processo de reconhecimento do Quilombo do Grotão, a primeira comunidade certificada na cidade de Niterói, na região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro, busco explorar como a identidade quilombola e o acesso a direitos territoriais se entrelaçam e se mobilizam no contexto da reivindicação política do grupo.

Abstract. This article aims to discuss Brazil’s quilombo identity recognition processes from the perspective of pragmatic sociology, specifically drawing on the theoretical contributions of Laurent Thévenot. To this end, I mobilize two key concepts developed by the French sociologist at different moments in his research trajectory: investment in form (1986) and modes of normativity (2019). By closely examining the recognition process of Quilombo do Grotão – the first certified community in the city of Niterói, located in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro – I seek to explore how quilombola identity and access to territorial rights are intertwined and mobilized within the group’s political claim for recognition.

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Procurando por lugares comuns: ensaio sobre os modos de engajamento no meio digital

Searching for common grounds: an essay on modes of engagement in the digital environment

Olga Christina de Oliveira Zunino (2026)

Sociologia & Antropologia, 16(1).
Open access

Resumo. Este artigo examina os modos de engajamento no mundo digital, tomando como ponto central como os usuários qualificam informações, se engajam e se constituem coletivamente. A partir da sociologia do engajamento, argumenta-se que a esfera pública digital resulta de processos situados de qualificação, nos quais diferentes regimes de engajamento orientam a definição do que é considerado relevante ou problemático. Destaca-se a proeminência do regime da familiaridade na busca por informações e na avaliação de fontes, bem como as tensões que ele produz em relação a modos convencionais de engajamento com o bem público. A informação digital é tratada como um bem disputado, cuja valoração depende de convenções locais, a partir das quais usuários são qualificados como bem-informados ou, quando destituídos dele, desinformados. O artigo demonstra como a sociologia do engajamento contribui para o estudo do digital ao preencher lacunas deixadas por abordagens macroestruturais.

Abstract. The article examines modes of engagement in the digital world, focusing on how users qualify information, engage with it, and constitute themselves collectively. Drawing on the sociology of engagement, it argues that the digital public sphere emerges from situated processes of qualification in which different regimes of engagement guide what is considered relevant or problematic. The article highlights the prominence of the regime of familiarity in information seeking and source evaluation, as well as the tensions it generates with more conventional modes of engagement with the public good. Digital information is treated as a contested good, whose value depends on local conventions through which users are qualified as well-informed or, when deprived of it, as misinformed. The article demonstrates how the sociology of engagement contributes to digital studies by addressing gaps left by macro-structural approaches.

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Os três pilares da teoria das convenções: moralidade, pluralismo e realism

The three pillars of convention theory: morality, pluralism, and realism

Paulo Andre Niederle (2026)

Sociologia & Antropologia, 16(1). Open access

Resumo. A teoria das convenções formou-se no final dos anos 1980 como uma alternativa às teorias transacionais e estruturalistas que então disputavam as interpretações sobre a nova dinâmica do capitalismo globalizado. A construção da nova abordagem esteve sustentada por três pilares: uma concepção moral, que reposiciona os valores no centro das explicações sobre a relação entre agência humana e ambiente material; a construção de uma perspectiva realista, que compreende os processos de engajamento no mundo a partir da existência material objetiva; e o reconhecimento da pluralidade de regimes como alternativa ao monismo teórico que reduz a complexidade da vida social a um único princípio causal, normativo ou racional. Ao retomar o debate sobre a constituição desses pilares, o artigo propõe uma leitura da teoria das convenções que incorpora e, ao mesmo tempo, extrapola o conhecido modelo dos “mundos de justificação”, de cujo sucesso a teoria também se tornou vítima na medida em que ele limitou o entendimento sobre outras contribuições do debate convencionalista para a análise de fenômenos sociais contemporâneos.

Abstract. The theory of conventions emerged in the late 1980s as an alternative to the transactional and structuralist theories that were then disputing interpretations of the new dynamics of globalized capitalism. The construction of this approach was anchored in three pillars: a moral conception that relocates values at the center of explanations about the relation between human agency and material environment; the development of a realist perspective that understands processes of engagement in the world on the basis of objective material existence; and the recognition of the plurality of regimes as an alternative to monism, which attempts to reduce the complexity of social life to a single causal, normative, or rational principle. By revisiting the debate surrounding the constitution of these pillars, the article proposes an interpretation of the theory of conventions that both incorporates and goes beyond the well-known model of the “worlds of justification,” whose success the approach eventually became a victim of, insofar as it limited the understanding of other contributions of conventionalist debates to the analysis of contemporary social phenomena.

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A tireless investigator: A tribute to Laurent Thévenot

Laurence Kaufmann (2026)

Sociologia & Antropologia, 16(1). Open access

Abstract. In his impressive and innovative work, Laurent Thévenot showed that social life is built with fragile practices of coordination, justification, and shifting regimes of engagement (familiar, planned, public). His concepts-such as orders of worth and investments in form-show how people compose a “common world” in various situations and warn against the loss of plurality under rigid standards.

Resumo. Em seu trabalho impressionante e inovador, Laurent Thévenot demonstrou que a vida social é construída por meio de práticas frágeis de coordenação, justificação e mudanças nos regimes de engajamento (familiar, planejado, público). Seus conceitos – como ordens de valor e investimentos em forma – mostram como as pessoas compõem um “mundo comum” em diversas situações, ao mesmo tempo em que alertam para a perda de pluralidade sob padrões rígidos.

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Antes de a justificação: meu encontro com Laurent Thévenot

Before on justification: me and Laurent Thévenot

Luc Boltanski (2026)

Sociologia & Antropologia, 16(1). Open access

Resumo. O objetivo deste texto é reconstituir uma trajetória de trabalho conjunto entre mim e Laurent Thévenot, a partir dos interesses independentes que nos uniram no final dos anos 1970 e o começo da década de 1980 e se consubstanciaram na publicação de A justificação em 1991 (a edição brasileira é de 2020). Com isso, explora-se a maneira como Thévenot contribuiu para a sociologia pragmática em específico e à sociologia de maneira geral: sua capacidade de interpretação e reutilização criativa de aportes de várias disciplinas a ele externas (como a filosofia e as ciências cognitivas) e de promover diálogo entre suas áreas de origem, a estatística e a economia – nas quais apresenta contribuições revolucionárias elas próprias, com, na primeira, a discussão sobre suas construções de categorias, e, na outra, com a chamada economia das convenções – e a sociologia (pela qual se encantou e na qual se alistou a partir dali e segue até hoje), além de sua enorme disposição para promoção de encontros entre pessoas, foram fatores essenciais para uma importante renovação das ciências sociais.

Abstract. This paper aims to review the history of joint work between me and Laurent Thévenot, based on independent interests that united us between the late 1970s and the early 1980s and built up to the publication of On justification in 1991 (English edition in 2006). I describe how Thévenot contributes to pragmatic sociology in specific and to sociology in general: his ability to interpret and creatively reuse elements of various disciplines to which he is an outsider (such as philosophy and cognitive sciences) and to promote dialogue between his originary fields, statistics and economics – in which they present revolutionary contributions of their own, with, in the first, the discussion on its construction of categories, and, in the other, as the so-called economics of conventions – and sociology (in which he is enlisted ever since and remains to this day), in addition to his enormous willingness to promote dialogues between people, were essential factors for an important renewal of the social sciences.

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O humano recolocado na atividade. : Uma Conversa Com Laurent Thévenot

The Human Being Placed Back Into Action: A Conversation With Laurent Thévenot

Frédéric Vandenberghe & Alexandre Werneck (2026)

Sociologia & Antropologia, 16(1).
Open access

Resumo. Laurent Thévenot é uma das principais figuras da sociologia pragmática na França. Oriundo da sociologia da quantificação e da categorização na esteira de Pierre Bourdieu, cunhou o conceito de “formas de investimento”. Em colaboração com Luc Boltanski, elaborou em De la justification um quadro rigoroso, o chamado “modelo das cités”, para a análise de momentos críticos e de disputas em público. Em seguida, desenvolveu sua própria teoria da ação em outro quadro conceitual que articula diferentes regimes de engajamento (justificação, plano, proximidade), ilustrado por pesquisas empíricas realizadas na França, nos Estados Unidos, na Rússia e também no Brasil. Na entrevista, editada numa autobiografia intelectual, Thévenot reconstrói seu próprio itinerário, de Bourdieu a Desrosières e Boltanski até suas pesquisas atuais sobre os lugares-comuns, dando atenção especial ao seu diálogo com colaboradores brasileiros. A entrevista é precedida de uma apresentação de sua obra pelos organizadores do dossiê.

Abstract. Laurent Thévenot is one of the main figures of pragmatic sociology in France. Coming from the sociology of quantification and categorisation that takes its cues from Pierre Bourdieu, he coined the concept of “forms of investment”. Together with Luc Boltanski, in De la justification he worked out a rigorous framework, known as the “model of the cités”, to analyse critical public moments and disputes. Then, he developed his own theory of action in another conceptual framework that articulates various regimes of engagement (justification, the plan, proximity), exemplified by empirical research in France, the US, Russia, and Brazil. In this interview, edited as an extended autobiography, Thévenot reconstructs his own trajectory from Bourdieu via Desrosières and Boltanski to his current research on common-places, focusing on his dialogue with Brazilian collaborators. The interview is preceded by a presentation of his lifework by the editors of this dossier.

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コンヴァンシオン経済学入門 – 慣行から価値へ

Introduction to Economics of convention – From convention to value.

Junya Tatemi & Masafumi Yokemoto (dir.) (2026)

Kyoto: Nakanishiya Publishing, 308 p.

価値の基準はいかにして生まれるのか、そしてそれはどのように用いられるのか
レギュラシオン学派と異なり、ミクロおよびメゾの次元における経済対象を扱い、「質の慣行」に注目し、複数の価値の基準とその用いられ方を明らかにするコンヴァンシオン学派によるユニークな「制度の経済学」をさまざまな観点から紹介する
コンヴァンシオン理論はかつては方法論的個人主義に拠っていたが、その意図は、主体間で行為が調整されるときにさまざまな水準の「慣行」が必要であることを明らかにする、いいかえれば制度的なものの次元の先行的な実在性を示すことであった。慣行としての集合的表象は、社会的諸価値の基準であり、それは狭義の経済的価値だけでなく規範的価値をも含んでいる。主体は、意思決定や計算の基準となり相互行為を可能にする尺度である「質の慣行」を参照しながら、財、人、組織、行為、出来事などの事物・事象の解釈や評価あるいは批判を行う(価値づけ、質的規定)。認知と規範のつながりとして慣行を捉える点、および価値の基準(共通善)が複数存在しそれらがいかに用いられるかを分析しようとする点が、コンヴァンシオン派の大きな特徴であろう

How Do Value Standards Emerge, and How Are They Applied?
Unlike the Regulation Theory, this book introduces the unique institutional economics proposed by the Convention Theory—which deals with economic phenomena at the micro and meso levels, focuses on “quality conventions,” and elucidates multiple value standards and how they are applied—from various perspectives.
Convention theory was once grounded in methodological individualism, but its intent was to demonstrate that various levels of “conventions” are necessary when actions are coordinated among agents—in other words, to show the prior reality of the institutional dimension. Collective representations as conventions serve as criteria of social values, encompassing not only economic value in the narrow sense but also normative value. Actors interpret, evaluate, or critique objects and phenomena—such as goods, people, organizations, actions, and events—by referring to “practices of quality,” which serve as standards for decision-making and calculation and as measures enabling mutual interaction (valuation, qualification). The key characteristics of the Convention theory are likely its conception of convention as a link between cognition and norms, and its attempt to analyze how multiple criteria of value (the common good) exist and are employed.

Table of contents

Part 1: Theory

Chapter 1: The Concept of Convention in Economics of Convention
by Taizo Yamamoto and Junya Tatemi

Chapter 2: From Game Theory to Economics of Convention. Lewis, Young, and Sugden  by Guillemette de Larquier (Translated by Hiroki Yokota and Junya Tatemi)

Chapter 3: A Theoretical Examination of Value and Valuation. Developments in Economics of Convention
by Junya Tatemi and Taizo Yamamoto

Supplement 1: On the “World of Production” by Junya Tatemi

Chapter 4: The Convention of Money and Value. The Logical Structure of the Orleans School
by Akiyoshi Sakaguchi

Supplement 2: The Theory of Imitative Desire and Convention
by Akiyoshi Sakaguchi

Supplement 3: John R. Commons and Economics of Convention, Regulation Theory
by Kota Kitagawa and Akiyoshi Sakaguchi

Chapter 5: Constructivist Research and the Ethical Role of Conventions
by Kota Kitagawa and Yu Kurosawa

Supplementary Essay 4: Deriving a Vision of Society from Collective Action
by Yu Kurosawa

Part 2: Applications

Chapter 6: Changes in Capitalism and the Social Solidarity Economy. Seeking New Forms of Regional Development
by Junya Tatemi

Chapter 7: The Essence of the Firm in Economics of Convention. From a Coordination Device to a Governance Device of Power    
by Hiroki Yokota and Junya Tatemi

Chapter 8: A Convention-based Approach to Accounting. Considering Accounting through “Conventions of Quantification,” “Conventions of Coordination,” and “Conventions of Valuation”  
by Eri Kanamori

Chapter 9: Service Research in Convention Theory. Viewing Services as Social Interaction  
by Kota Kitagawa

Chapter 10: The Expropriation of the Commons and the Politics of Legal Mediators  
by Christian Bessy and Kota Kitagawa

Chapter 11: Politics Surrounding Valuation and “Value of Territory”. Case Studies from Minamata and Mizushima  
by Masafumi Yokemoto

Chapter 12: The Valuation of Objects as Collective Creation in Society. Considering the Formation of a New Local Production Community and Connections with Citizens through Locally Made Wooden Furniture  
by Hiroki Yokota

Chapter 13: Convention Theory and the Political Economy of Art. Re-examining the “Art World” from the Perspective of Valuation Theory  
by Junya Tatemi

Chapter 14: Gender Valuation and Practices (Conventions) Surrounding Women’s Labor in Japan. Reflections on Gender-Related Values  
by Ryoko Hattori

Afterword

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Making the collectivist organization: Creativity, conformity, and social closure

Will Charles (2025)

Poetics, 109, 101982

Abstract. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews, and surveys, this study of a makerspace investigates social closure—processes by which groups maintain exclusive control over resources and opportunities—in an organization rejecting hierarchy and cultural conformity. This question is pertinent to organizations promoting collectivist and pluralist ideals. I found that despite espousing creativity and non-conformity, a culturally homogeneous in-group emerged in the organization. This highlights a tension between artistic and social critiques of capitalism, which are often espoused by collectivist organizations. The artistic critique challenges capitalism’s instrumentalization of creativity, advocating for meaning and beauty in production. In contrast, the social critique targets inequalities and promotes inclusivity and justice. Members of the organization pursued the artistic critique through creative making but repressed a social critique. The organization’s narrow focus on artistic critique led to a form of asceticism, limiting broader social impact. To counteract social closure and uphold collectivist ideals, organizations must actively prevent exclusive in-groups. Addressing economic disparities via alternative funding models and fostering mutual aid can mitigate unintentional hierarchies. Integrating artistic and social goals holistically by expanding the definition of creativity to include instrumental practices can bridge community divides.

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Research in transformation: a pragmatist perspective on change-oriented research in digital education contexts

Kenneth Horvath & Barbara Getto (2026)

Learning, Media and Technology, Online first, open access

Abstract. The digital transformation creates persistent pressure for change in educational institutions and practice. Researchers actively involved in these digital change processes face specific methodological challenges that have so far been seldom discussed. Drawing on pragmatist methodology, this paper identifies and outlines key areas for methodological reflection that follow from the interlocked dynamics that characterize change-oriented research in education. Pragmatism proves productive for this endeavor due to its situational methodology and its socio-historical perspective on research. We identify seven reflection areas, each bridging methodological concerns with the social, political, and educational issues at stake: the digital transformation of research methods themselves, underlying assumptions of educational quality, appropriate generalization strategies, consideration of uncertainties and side effects, actor configurations, overlapping temporalities, and challenges to common wisdom. We discuss why each of these aspects points to important methodological issues and demonstrate how these reflection areas enable more deliberate engagement with established frameworks for change-oriented educational research, such as Evidence-Based Practice and Design-Based Research. The proposed methodological reflection areas thus respond to the pressing need for more reflexive research designs and strategies when researchers are themselves embedded in the digital transformation processes they investigate.

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Nested Hybridity in International Higher Education Collaboration during the Times of War. A Comparative Study of Finland and Sweden.

Henna Juusola (2026)

In: Pekkola, Elias/de Andrade, Luiz Alonso/Kettunen, Kerttu/Lundborg, Stefan (eds.), Hybridity Through Transitions. Crisis and Resilience in Nordic Universities. Leiden: Brill, pp. 129-146. Open access.

Abstract. This research explores the nested hybridity and moral justification of international higher education collaboration (IHEC) in Finland and Sweden, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Based on 16 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2023 with representatives with strategic responsibility for IHEC from Finnish and Swedish higher education institutions, as well as national documents, the findings show that IHEC operates as a nested hybridity, where national policies, organisational strategies and practical operations dynamically interact. However, these interactions are partly emphasised differently in Finland and Sweden, with distinct justification frameworks at different levels of hybridity, shaped by national characteristics and geopolitical contexts.

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