Books & ideas

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.

What binds us together?

François-Xavier Merrien — 2024-10-03T07:55:00Z

What binds people together and turns them into a society? In an ambitious book, the sociologist Serge Paugam wrestles with this question, while bringing sociology into conversation with psychology.

Towards a critical approach to social mix

Éric Charmes — 2014-03-17T08:00:00Z

What if social mix was not always the best way to promote equality and social justice? Éric Charmes argues in favour of a pragmatic approach to diversity, and is not afraid of challenging some of our most deep-seated ideas about education, housing or urban policy. But how can we live together if public spaces are being increasingly restricted? Let the debate begin.

Society of Discontent or Discontent in Society ?

Alain Ehrenberg — 2010-06-03T06:02:00Z

Alain Ehrenberg believes that Robert Castel's review of his book in La Vie des Idées is grounded in a misunderstanding about his approach. As opposed to presenting America as a model, Ehrenberg's comparative approach attempts to describe the social meanings of autonomy in order to transcend the opposition between liberalist and antiliberalist orientations. His objective is to replace an individualistic sociology with a sociology of individualism.