Publications

Interview [conducted by Pascal Bonnard and Frédéric Zalewski, Revue d'études comparatives Est-Ouest, N° 2021/2], with Simon Godard author of a thesis in contemporary history, entitled "Construire le "bloc'' par l'économie. Configuration des territoires et des identités socialistes au Conseil d'aide économique mutuelle (CAEM), 1949-1989" (defended in 2014) "His work focuses on the history of communism, the socio-history of the economy, the history of Europe, the construction and circulation of economic knowledge and the analysis of transnational networks. In this interview, he takes a comparative look at the dynamics of disintegration in the Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe in the 1980s, culminating in the collapse of the USSR in 1991. In particular, he shows how the history of the CAEM sheds light on the logics of institutionalization and acculturation that were at work even in conditions as specific as those of this organization, which was so dependent on the Cold War, and also puts into perspective the integration processes at work on the European continent, both before and after 1991.

This article studies how social epidemiologists get involved in research carried out on rodent models to explore the biological pathways underpinning exposure to social adversity in early life. We analyze their interdisciplinary exchanges with biologists in a social epigenetics project-i.e., in the experimental study of molecular alterations following social exposures. We argue that social epidemiologists are ambivalent regarding the use of non-human animal models on two levels: first, in terms of whether such models provide scientific evidence useful to social epidemiology, and second, regarding whether such models help promote their conception of public health. While they maintain expectations towards rodent experiments by elevating their functional value over their representational potential, they fear that their research will contribute to a public health approach that focuses on individual responsibility rather than the social causes of health inequalities. This interdisciplinary project demonstrates the difficulties encountered when research in social epigenetics engages with the complexities of laboratory experiments and social environments, as well as the conflicting sociopolitical projects stemming from such research.

Pre-trial detention in Côte d'Ivoire is the subject of debate. When it becomes unjustified and systematic, leading to overcrowding and degrading treatment, it becomes intolerable. Penal reforms have been undertaken, but they have not succeeded in curbing the situation. What's more, they reveal the difficulties involved in thinking through changes to the prison and justice systems. Our focus on the tension between the lack of understanding of procedures by those primarily concerned, and the logics of standardization, nonetheless allows us to sketch out a methodological approach to the dynamics of confinement and the state. This book is the result of a desire to cross perspectives. It examines the reform processes at work in Côte d'Ivoire and other countries in the sub-Saharan region, to reveal the "unthought" behind the internationalization of penal reform in this region.

The institutional frameworks of expertise refer to the theoretical principles and practical modalities of particular forms of expertise. Few researchers have taken an interest in their Education , or in the work of entrepreneurs to promote these forms. Using the case of the development of Expertise Collective (a method of systematic literature review) by the director of INSERM and his entourage between 1982 and 1994 in France, this article demonstrates that these frameworks are the product of a long, incremental and contingent process. This process is based on three activities undertaken by the entrepreneurs of forms of expertise: putting their representations into practice through experimentation (or trial-and-error); examining existing systems; and promoting and negotiating this framework, particularly with potential sponsors.

Interview [by Pascal Bonnard and Frédéric Zalewski, Revue d'études comparatives Est-Ouest, N° 2021/2], with Simon Godard, author of a thesis in contemporary history, entitled "Construire le "bloc'' par l'économie. Configuration des territoires et des identités socialistes au Conseil d'aide économique mutuelle (CAEM), 1949-1989" (defended in 2014) "His work focuses on the history of communism, the socio-history of the economy, the history of Europe, the construction and circulation of economic knowledge and the analysis of transnational networks. In this interview, he takes a comparative look at the dynamics of disintegration in the Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe in the 1980s, culminating in the collapse of the USSR in 1991. In particular, he shows how the history of the CAEM sheds light on the logics of institutionalization and acculturation that were at work even in conditions as specific as those of this organization, which was so dependent on the Cold War, and puts into perspective the integration processes at work on the European continent, both before and after 1991."

After two decades of research on throughput legitimacy, making sense of the stock of accumulated knowledge remains a challenge. How can relevant publications on throughput legitimacy be collected and analysed? How can the level of throughput legitimacy be measured? Which policy activities contribute to the production of throughput legitimacy? To answer these questions, we designed and implemented an original systematic literature review. We find that the measurement of the level of throughput legitimacy introduces a number of problems that call for the systematic and rigorous use of a more complete set of precise, specific indicators to advance the theory of throughput legitimacy. A number of participatory decision-making activities contribute to the production of throughput legitimacy. Engaging in these activities is not without risk, as variations in throughput legitimacy affect input and output legitimacy. To prevent vicious circles, lessons can be drawn from the literature on collaborative governance and decision-makers' strategies to support effective collaboration between stakeholders.

Abstract Scholars have long investigated connections between types of knowledge use and types of policy subsystem. Yet, most of them focus on the learning function of expert information. The legitimizing function of knowledge-when expertise serves as a substitute for decision (Boswell in J Eur Public Policy 15(4):471-488, 2008)-has attracted less attention. An empirically validated explanation of this function is still missing. This article tests existing hypotheses regarding which features of the subsystem are conducive to the legitimizing function. The demonstration rests upon a case study: France's Ministry of Agriculture's commissioning of INRA to carry out a systematic literature review on pain in farm animals. Two types of factors are involved in the legitimizing function of knowledge: environmental mechanisms (an adversarial policy subsystem, concentration of policy authority) and relational mechanisms (coalitions displaying epistemic uncertainty and exerting pressures on the source of policy authority, a policy broker mitigating the conflict between the two coalitions).