Langlois Annie : curriculum vitae

Annie Langlois

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I) CURRENT THEME OF RESEARCH

To start with this research, we use Law to examine social reality. In other words, we present Law like a pertinent sociological indicator to analyse society and its transformations : we maintain that there is a relation between law and social sphere (legal positivism, like the Theory of Kelsen, is dismissed).

After, we want to start from school institution, always to question law. Scool institution does not escape from lawextension and from the increasing production of legal rules, which affect the society as a whole, even intimate sphere.

If School functionned before like a sort of sanctuary, with its rules which were a consensus, today, school is invaded by law. Law alters the functioning.

Education personnel is worried about the question of law, as parents and pupils. Every school and tis representatives have to inform about their projects, theirs decisions, their functioning.

Parents demand more and more means of security. Furthermore, they can estimate the quality of education and they can turn to Justice.

As for pupils, they demand more and more rights, but in parallel, School introduces more and more contracts and regulations. Today, some pupil’s mistakes are considered like crimes.

So, Law enters into school institution. And at the same time, we talk about the decline of this institution (DUBET, « Le déclin de l’institution »).

Our hypothesis :

 the intrusion of legal logic causes a change of the instition’s legitimacy. Before, the legitimacy was based on institutional feature. Today, the legitimacy founds more and more on procedural characteristic.

In other words, when autority and ethics decline, when we assist at the crisis of instituting functions, law rules will increase. Law becomes the only answer to institutional problems, the only answer to human conflicts, the only answer when the « face to face » is difficult. The personal sovereignty is less and less invited in human relations.

In fine, the school context, because it is a sort of « anticipated society », can open onto a global reflexion concerning the evolution of law and the transformations of society.

II) FUTURE THEMES OF RESEARCH

We want to expand the reflexion. From the analyse of law, it is possible to think about Modernity, about social transformations, social link..

But for the moment, we only have some few questions :

 What does law say about society and its members?

Which sort of normativity does emerge?

Do the continuous demand of protection and the claim of rihgts reveal a « normalization » or a « generalization » of fear?

Do we have to talk about a contradiction when we assist to the claim of liberty and, in parallel, the demand of security? What does it mean?

Roughtly, here are the beginnings of next researches.

III) BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Michel FREITAG, « L’oubli de la société. Pour une théorie critique de la post-modernité » : this author maintains that there is a breaking between Modernity and present society. We go from political society to « organizational » society. And legal regulation takes the place of political regulation.

 CLAM & MARTIN, « Les transformations de la régulation juridique » : It is a matter of several files on law and law’s transformations. For example, the different authors talk about flexibility of law, its individualistic characteristic . They maintain that the sources of law are plural (national, european, creation of independant administrative autority...). This book talks about the emergence of a new law.

 DUBET, « Le déclin de l’institution » : Dubet affirms the decline of « institutional programm ». This programm is the role of School institution, a socialization programm. The professionals of School have more and more problems to work on other people.

 DELEUZE, Post-scriptum sur les sociétés de contrôle in « Pourparlers » : He prolongs Foucault’s thinking and affirms that we do not live in disciplinary society anymore. In this chapter, he says that we enter in control society, with open spaces, continuous communication and he uses the concept of « modulation ».

 DURKHEIM, « De la division du travail social » : In french sociological tradition, Durkheim is one of the only who use law to analyse social sphere, to analyse the transition from « mechanical solidarity » to « organic solidarity ». He points out us that the law is a social representation of society : law is not an autonomous sphere.

IV) CURRICULUM VITAE

I arrived in University of Caen in 1999 and I decided to study Sociology. I obtained all the examinations with Seconds Honours. I have solid theorical knowledge but I am not experienced on sociological pratical experience. I just took part in a student’s research. This student worked on the artist’s place in society and the cultural question. This research on law’s question is my first contact with empiricism.

Furthermore, I have a full-time work for 5 years. I work in a secondary school. That is why it was difficult for me to make sociological research.