Books & ideas

The Names of Fame

Nadeije Laneyrie-Dagen — 2019-10-31T08:00:00Z

Artists make a name for themselves thanks to their works. But what name? During the Renaissance, artists are usually designated by their first name or by a patronym. But to become famous, painters have often endeavoured to invent the names with which they wanted to achieve fame.

What Same-Sex Parenting Does to Kinship

Jean-Hugues Déchaux — 2015-12-14T08:00:00Z

What are the effects of same-sex parenting on the kinship system of Western societies? A collection of international papers edited by two anthropologists of kinship lead them to reject the thesis of an anthropological break or the claim that the current kinship system has been disrupted. Instead, they emphasize the centrality of multiple parenting.

Separations: The Female Perspective

Cécile Van de Velde — 2012-10-29T08:42:34Z

In his new work, François Singly continues to explore the transformations of marital bonds. This time, he approaches it from another angle—that of the “process of uncoupling” experienced by women who have recently separated from their partner. More than just a sociological study of the gender relations at play in a separation, this investigation explores the engagement and disengagement of the self within the ties of marriage.

Why We Abolished Marriage

François de Singly — 2012-09-24T09:25:31Z

Approved in 2048, the abolition of marriage turned upside down not only the sexual organization of society but also the idea of lineage. This historical transformation was carried forth by a utopian group that no one, around 2010, had taken seriously. This article looks back at a movement that transformed our lives.

The Ephrussi Treasure

Ivan Jablonka — 2012-06-15T10:46:17Z

Through the remarkable story of the journey of 264 Japanese miniatures, a world-renowned ceramicist retraces the rise and fall of his family, the Ephrussi, rich Jewish bankers with a dynasty which spread across Europe from Odessa and Paris to Vienna. His book is an example of how history can lie at the heart of literature.

The Chinese State at Work

Christopher Kutarna — 2012-02-09T15:35:32Z

Foreign opposition to the Chinese one-child policy build up in 1980s, put forth by American conservatives looking for an anti-abortion cause célèbre. But looking at this most famous of Chinese reforms as coerced obedience is inadequate: Chinese leaders have turned from a view of population control as a means to economic ends, and the Chinese population has followed them.

The Fall of the House of Obama?

Pauline Peretz — 2011-12-30T10:36:17Z

Is there still room for hope at the White House?

Liberty, Equality, or Fraternity between the Generations?

Cécile Van de Velde — 2011-03-23T12:44:14Z

Liberty, equality, or fraternity between the generations — how should we think about “fair” transfers from one generation to the next? In a meticulous and bold essay, André Masson demonstrates that the French republican motto can be used as a key to the different theories that attempt to explain the ties between generations. He views his position as “upstream” of current debates about the emergence of and need for a reformulation of our public policies concerning intergenerational ties.

Challenging Family Rhythms

Christophe Giraud — 2010-12-29T12:13:59Z

Transformations of work disrupt family time. Relying on a rigorous statistical approach, Laurent Lesnard draws attention to the consequences produced in family life by the turmoil of atypical working hours. While his demonstration of this phenomenon is convincing, his interpretation of it is more questionable.

In the Best Interest of the Child

Jennifer Merchant — 2010-11-22T08:52:11Z

Are the arguments regarding 'the interest of the child' given by opponents of same-sex parenting founded? Recent studies in the United States compare the academic achievement, personal development and mental health of children raised by same-sex couples with those of children raised by heterosexual couples.