Books & ideas

Do Our Emotions Have a Culture?

Jules Naudet — 2026-09-18T09:00:00Z

Jeanne Tsai and Batja Mesquita show how emotions are shaped by cultural logics that orient our relationships and judgments. Their conversation raises a broader question: what does it mean to understand others in culturally plural societies?

Reflecting on Poverty, Fostering Solidarity

Julien Le Mauff — 2026-09-17T06:30:00Z

Active in the fight against poverty since the 1950s, the ATD Fourth World movement has successfully combined grassroots action, research and advocacy, exerting a lasting influence on social policies in France and internationally.

Left behind by personal autonomy

Romain Philit — 2026-09-10T07:40:16Z

What are the emancipatory prospects for women excluded from salaried work? By analyzing working-class Maghrebin women's attitudes towards work, family, and heterosexuality, Fatma Çingi Kocadost shows the limits of individual emancipation through work.

One is not born, but becomes Black

Pascale Barthélémy — 2026-09-08T06:43:24Z

Black women—whether from the Caribbean, Africa, or of African descent—have conceptualized and embodied French citizenship. Their often hidden trajectories and struggles illustrate an alternative history of the nation, shaped by colonialism, when seen through the lenses of race, class, and gender.

Academic inbreeding: new estimates

Olivier Godechot & Rachel Issiakou & Yann Renisio & Adrien Rougier — 2026-03-03T09:50:00Z

By analyzing nearly 8,000 recruitments for assistant professor positions in France between 2017 and 2024, Olivier Godechot, Rachel Issiakou, Yann Renisio, and Adrien Rougier revisit the long-standing and controversial issue of academic inbreeding.

The value of school

Nassim El Kabli — 2026-02-26T08:30:00Z

School is mandatory and fully justified in being so. Educational authority in no way impairs freedom, provided it focuses on developing students' multiple capacities.

Algorithms and the female silhouette

Hélène Bourdeloie & Solenne Carof — 2026-02-17T06:30:00Z

The female silhouette – understood as the body's visible form and socially perceived appearance – has long been shaped by social norms. In the age of social media, these norms are intensifying, prompting, in response, the rise of so-called “body-positive” movements.

Dual Identity

Victor Lu Huynh — 2026-02-10T07:00:00Z

How do children construct their racial identity? Based on a groundbreaking study of children from so-called “mixed” couples, Solène Brun explores the processes of racialization within family structures.

Can social cohesion be measured?

Nicolas Duvoux — 2026-02-05T07:00:00Z

In a stimulating and well-informed essay, Sandra Hoibian refutes the idea that French society is becoming fragmented and suggests ways to measure a vague concept: social cohesion.

A Critique of TV Series

Jean-Baptiste Ghins — 2026-01-29T08:52:00Z

Digitally distributed television series are one of the key forms of contemporary entertainment. By analyzing this distinctive form of consumption, it is possible to explain these consumers' relationship to time, narratives, and decision-making.