French political science at a turning point

This paper outlines the origins and institutionalization process of French political science since 1945. It sketches the present state of the discipline, and it analyses recent trends that appear almost as a form of ‘de-institutionalization’. Overall, the discipline is quite well entrenched and is independent in terms of recruitment with its own teaching and research branches. However, political scientists suffer from a relative lack of visibility in the public space in comparison with their colleagues from more prominent disciplines. In many fields French political science remains invisible at the international level, though this may change considerably in the years to come. The main element of uncertainty comes from the ongoing reforms, the redefinition of the partnership between universities, the Instituts d'Etudes Politiques and the CNRS, and the way the autonomy of universities will be implemented

Spectacle, political

International audience"The spectacular is inherent in political activity. Power is always “staged,” a “theatrocracy,” and a manipulation of images and symbols. While the idea that political power must make itself seen is well known, its use of spectacle is often delegitimized as it denotes an impoverishment of political participation. But it can also be a factor of politicization, an opportunity to expand the public space, or a tool for civil checks against power. Political spectacle hence appears as the place and the medium for a dialogue between social groups and between the state and the people in a democratic society.

Using Focus Groups to Study the Process of (de)Politicization

International audiencePalgrave macmillan, 2017 (p.365-387). The growing distance that seems to characterize the relationship that citizens entertain with politics-in Western democracies, in particular-is matter for concern. How to make democracy work when those who are supposed to be the source of legitimate power don't bother to engage? (Hay, 2009; Stoker, 2009) Although the causes of citizens' de-politicization are most probably largely external to them – as, for instance, the disappearance of social capital, the role of modern media, globalization and the blurring of political accountability, neoliberalism and the individualization of social relations (Zürn, 2016)-their effects should also be analyzed, observed and interpreted. Interrogating such effects is all the more important, if we hope to find triggers that would help in reversing the trend of de-politicization. Focus groups might prove useful for studying (de)politicization-provided that they are designed appropriately. I did have experience of this in a study dedicated to attitudes towards European integration (Duchesne et al., 2013) i. The original project aimed to analyze a more specific process, conflictualization, i.e. how people accept or avoid conflict in public discussion. We first conducted an experimental series of three groups on delinquency which yielded promising insights (Duchesne and Haegel, 2010, 2004). We decided to replicate the study in a broader setting, in order to compare the French dynamic we had already observe