Archives mensuelles : mai 2026

Der Neue „Geist des Kapitalismus“ Revisited: Kontinuität und Wandel kapitalistischer Leitideologien

The New “Spirit of Capitalism” Revisited: Continuity and Change in Capitalist Ideologies

Johannes Truffer (2026)

In: Friese, Heidrun/Nolden, Marcus/Schreiter, Miriam (eds), Handbuch Soziale Praktiken und Digitale Alltagswelten. Digitale Alltagspraktiken | Everyday Digital Practices. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 143-159.

Zusammenfassung. Der Beitrag rekonstruiert das Konzept des Geistes des Kapitalismus nach Luc Boltanski und Ève Chiapello und legt hierbei einen spezifischen Fokus auf die historische Dynamik kapitalistischer Rechtfertigung. Unter Einbezug aktueller Forschungen wird auf der Basis des Konzepts ein stratifiziertes Framework zur Analyse kapitalistischer Leitideologien entwickelt und im Hinblick auf digitalisierte Gesellschaften befragt. Dieses allgemeinere Modell hebt die Spannung zwischen Akkumulations- und Legitimitätserfordernissen hervor, die dem Geist des Kapitalismus stets innewohnt. Damit öffnet die Rekonzeptualisierung den Blick für Kontinuität und Wandel kapitalistischer Leitideologien und ermöglicht so neue Einblicke in die Dialektik zwischen kapitalistischer Akkumulation und ihrer ideologischen Rechtfertigung in digitalisierten Gesellschaften.

Abstract. This article reconstructs the concept of the “spirit of capitalism” as developed by Luc Boltanski and Ève Chiapello, placing particular emphasis on the historical dynamics of capitalist legitimation. Drawing on current research, the article uses this concept to develop a stratified framework for analyzing dominant capitalist ideologies and examines its applicability to digitalized societies. This more general model highlights the tension between the requirements of accumulation and legitimacy that is always inherent in the spirit of capitalism. In doing so, the reconceptualization opens up a view of the continuity and change in leading capitalist ideologies, thereby enabling new insights into the dialectic between capitalist accumulation and its ideological justification in digitalized societies.

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Selling sustainability: how ESG marketing overlooks moral complexity

Tuukka Ylä-Anttila (2026)

Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 31:28, pp. 1-12.

Abstract. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has surged in popularity, yet faces increasing politicization and scrutiny. This paper argues that current ESG marketing problematically overlooks moral pluralism and complexity. We conceptualize ESG marketing as the supply side of ESG morality, less studied than the demand side (investor preferences). A mixed-methods study, including topic modeling, qualitative categorization and close reading of 99 ESG marketing documents from top global asset managers was conducted. Principal results show that ESG marketing emphasizes environmental (E) themes, particularly climate change risk mitigation, being more cautious about controversial social (S) issues. Moral arguments in ESG marketing often center on safety for investors provided by ESG risk management, largely disregarding moral pluralism and the now-polarized nature of ESG. Marketing downplays complex ethical trade-offs and often claims moral neutrality despite inherent value judgments. We argue that this simplified morality may contribute to ESG backlash and suggest that acknowledging moral pluralism through what we term moral diversification is vital if moral considerations are brought into investing practice.

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Justified? Norms of War and Narratives of Excessive Violence in the Middle Ages

Stefanie Rüther (2026)

In: Lennart Gilhaus (eds.), War Violence in the Pre-Modern World. Leiden: Brill, pp. 80-104

Extract: “In the present article, the arguments provided by accusers and defendants alike from the Middle Ages are closely examined. Moreover, an analysis is presented regarding how the lines between permissible and impermissible violence in war were drawn on the one hand and how crossing such lines was justified on the other hand. Inspired by the work of French sociologists Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot, the analysis uses an extended understanding of the term “justification” in which both the way that individuals articulate contradictions in situations of conflict and the way they justify their actions are investigated. Boltanski and Thévenot identify six main logics in contemporary societies that come from different “worlds” and relate to different value systems. For example, in the “world of inspiration,” unconventional and spontaneous actions are highly valued, while in the “world of home,” tradition and longstanding family ties are highly important. These “orders of justification” compete with one another and can themselves lead to conflicts. In asymmetrical constellations, such conflicts can turn violent if, for example, one party is so strong that it feels no need for justification. Conversely, one party may be so weak that its justifications go unheeded. Some conflict situations may remain in a kind of limbo between justification and violence for a short period before they either evolve into a consensual solution or lead to war. However, Boltanski and Thévenot emphasize that moments of acute violence elude the authors’ approach and therefore lie beyond their research interests.” (p. 81)

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What am I worth? An exploration of unemployed people’s experiences of (in)dignity in Denmark

Sabina Pultz & Magnus Paulsen Hansen (2026)

In: Victor Tan Chen, Sabina Pultz & Ofer Sharone (eds.), Handbook on Unemployment and Society. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 81-99

Abstract. Over the last few decades, people’s sense of worth has increasingly become linked to their participation in the labor market. This has made the indignity of unemployment a more complex and pressing matter. Feelings of (in)dignity are shaped by people’s past and present experiences with and within labor market institutions, ranging from their encounters with employers to meetings with caseworkers. Drawing from in-depth interviews with 44 unemployed workers and their follow-up video diaries, we examine the subjective experiences of (in)dignity among unemployed people. Using French pragmatic sociology to operationalize the concept of dignity, we show how people’s experiences of (in)dignity are tied to three moral repertoires—dignity through rights, work, and meritocracy—as well as to perceptions about being treated as objects.

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AI as justification devices: wellbeing and the datafied world in the Chilean context

Martin Tironi Rodo, Diego Rivera & Matias Valderrama (2026)

Journal of Cultural Economy, Online first, open access

Abstract. On recent years, various calculative devices based on algorithmic systems and artificial intelligence (AI), have facilitated the quantification and reinterpretation of diverse concepts, such as wellbeing. In this context, we examine a Chilean start-up that aims to promote the well-being of companies’ employees by fostering healthy habits, encouraging social donations, and ensuring financial security, along with managing employee benefits for their clients. At the core of their business lies their smartphone application, through which these dimensions are both measured and modified, as well as the different AI models that inform their recommendation systems and analytics. In this paper, we investigate the production of a definition of well-being within these emerging business models through interviews with key members of the organization and conducting an ethnographic study of the platform. We propose that both AI and well-being function as rhetorical devices, serving as capture mechanisms for capital, partners, clients, and users, thus enabling the platform to operate successfully. Taking from Boltanski and Thévenot regimes of justification, we argue that the role of AI in such assemblages surpasses its calculative capabilities and instead serves as a rhetorical device of conscription, framed through and for the Global North.

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AI innovation at the boundaries: Justifying a generative AI decision support tool

Marta Choroszewicz & Antti Rannisto (2026)

Big Data and Society, Online first, open access

Abstract. The growing uptake of generative AI by public administrations raises important questions about the continuity of AI innovations and the ‘thingness’ of AI, despite recurrent failures of these emerging technologies to fulfil their promises. We combine the frameworks of boundary work and regimes of justification and methodologically draw on nearly 1.5 years of ethnographic fieldwork following the innovation process of a generative AI decision support tool in a Finnish public organization. We capture how the team driving this AI innovation engages in boundary-crossing practices, enacting diverse conceptions of moral and common good to ensure the continuity of the tool’s development process. We identified nine powerful justification frames related to the tool, its innovation process and its underlying ideology that sustained the generative AI tool’s innovation. Three frames in particular – centring on efficiency, well-being and equality – formed a powerful trio capable of making the tool compelling across organizational boundaries within the context of the Nordic welfare state. The frames fostered a protective structure around the tool, simultaneously legitimizing it as it was developed. We show how enacting these frames to safeguard the tool and its imagined value from criticism – specifically a lack of accuracy, precision and consistency – made it an irresistible thing to influential organizational actors.

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Les normativités de l’amiable : entre idéal d’autonomie et reproduction sociale

The Norms of Amicable Settlement: Between the Ideal of Autonomy and Social Reproduction

Guillaume Maraud (2026)

La Revue des droits de l’homme, 29. Open access

Résumé. Cet article entend identifier les normativités à l’œuvre dans les modes amiables de règlement des différends (MARD). La première partie expose les tensions axiologiques structurant les discours théoriques sur l’amiable, entre opérations de justification et démarches critiques au sujet de la transposition des rapports marchands dans les formes du droit. La seconde partie s’appuie sur une observation participante au sein d’une formation aux MARD pour dégager les orientations éthiques et les prescriptions techniques qui, au-delà des sources formelles du droit étatique, régulent la pratique des modes amiables, confirmant ainsi l’opérationnalité du concept de petites sources pour appréhender le droit négocié.

Extrait: “Les discours théoriques sur les modes amiables font apparaître plusieurs lignes de fracture qui traduisent deux rapports contradictoires à cet objet. Le premier procède d’une démarche justificatrice visant à promouvoir le développement des modes amiables (A), le second relève d’un positionnement plus dialectique à l’égard de cet objet ouvrant ainsi la voie à des analyses critiques (B). Ce découpage emprunte au cadre conceptuel développé par Luc Boltanski et Laurent Thévenot afin de «modéliser le sens de la justice que les personnes mettent en œuvre lorsqu’elles échangent, au cours de disputes, des critiques et des justifications pour s’arrêter sur un jugement qui permettrait d’ordonner les questions et les êtres impliquées au regard d’une définition d’un bien commun». Les deux sociologues appliquent notamment ce cadre à l’analyse compréhensive de ce qu’ils nomment la cité marchande, concept désignant un projet de justice articulant l’intérêt particulier à l’intérêt collectif, où le règlement des «discordes» s’inscrit dans «un lien social fondé sur un penchant à l’échange pour son propre intérêt».”

Abstract. This article examines the normative foundations of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Part one maps the axiological fault lines in ADR scholarship, contrasting justificatory accounts of ADR’s market-based logic with critical perspectives on the commodification of dispute resolution. Part two presents findings from participant observation within an ADR training course, revealing the ethical codes and technical requirements that structure professional practice. This analysis demonstrates the utility of the concept of minor sources for understanding how negotiated law operates in practice.

Excerpt: ““Theoretical discussions of alternative dispute resolution reveal several lines of division that reflect two contradictory approaches to the subject. The first stems from a justificatory approach aimed at promoting the development of alternative dispute resolution (A), while the second stems from a more dialectical stance toward the subject, thereby paving the way for critical analyses (B). This distinction draws on the conceptual framework developed by Luc Boltanski and Laurent Thévenot to ‘model the sense of justice that people employ when, during disputes, they exchange criticisms and justifications in order to arrive at a judgment that would allow them to order the issues and individuals involved in light of a definition of the common good.’ The two sociologists apply this framework in particular to a comprehensive analysis of what they call the “market city,” a concept denoting a project of justice that articulates private interest with the collective interest, where the resolution of “discords” is embedded in “a social bond founded on a propensity for exchange for one’s own interest.”

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Staying Relevant: Toward an Understanding of Contemporary Cultural Leadership

Nanna Kann-Rasmussena & Maja Rudloff (2026)

Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, Online first, open access

Abstract. This article examines cultural leadership in Denmark over a ten-year period (2013–2023), focusing on how leaders of publicly funded cultural institutions navigate changing conditions to secure legitimacy and maintain relevance. Drawing on 14 interviews and a focus group, the analysis combines institutional theory and pragmatic sociology to explore leaders’ perceptions of their stakeholder environment and their strategies for legitimation. The findings reveal two dominant interpretations of social relevance: cultural formation (Bildung) and instrumentality, reflecting broader shifts in cultural policy and societal expectations. By highlighting how leaders balance artistic integrity with demands for visibility, accountability, and societal contribution, the article contributes to understanding cultural leadership as institutional navigation in a dynamic policy landscape.

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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).” (p. 38)

“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).” (p. 38)

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.” (p. 294)

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. (p. 294)

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.” (p. 302)

“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.” (p. 302)

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).” (p. 380)

“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).” (p. 380)

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.” (p. 446)

“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.” (p. 446)

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).” (p. 467)

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). (p. 467)

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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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