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Dominique Fortier's novels paint an original tableau of the American continent from the icy solitudes of the North West Passage (Du bon usage des étoiles, 2008), to the sun of Martinique (Les larmes de Saint-Laurent, 2010), via Louisiana and Alabama (La porte du ciel, 2011), and via New England (Les villes de papier, 2018, Les ombres blanches, 2022 and La part de l'océan, 2024). This article begins with a focus on the role of the American setting in Fortier's first three novels by means of the staging of spaces and locations that are characterised by their marginality and their decentering. These spaces and locations foreshadow the importance the author gives in the first three novels to American writers of the 19th century, whether it be Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, or Nathanial Hawthorne. The landscapes and the books thus come together to form an authentic America on paper, both physical and spiritual.

SummaryThis article shows that the study of relationships between science and politics in the area of education provides for important debates, specifically regarding the status of pedagogy, the link between theories and practices, the system's capacity to respond in an operational manner to questions from teachers and political agents, the compromise arrived at each level regarding equality of opportunity, etc. The article notes that the balance of each local educational system depends on measureable objectives and international comparisons in order to define performance levels. The author questions the role of programs centred on competencies. Finally, he underscores the role of political decisions in producing inequalities of educational experiences between training of the elite and that of the masses.

Based on a unique comparison between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (unhcr) and the International Labour Organization (ilo) in the 2000s, this paper invites to revisit the issue of change within international organizations (ios). Using a sociological perspective, it suggests to analyze ios' reforms through a continuum of organizational strategies – from survival policies to claims for autonomy – implemented by agencies to justify their existence and actions. Two moments of the life of the unhcr and the ilo are compared : the intervention, in December 2004, of the unhcr in favor of victims of natural disasters following the tsunami in Southeast Asia, and the launch, in June 1999, of the Decent Work Agenda, by the ilo's Director General.

Keywords: changement, HCR, organisations internationales, OIT, secrétariats, stratégies de réforme, change, ILO, international organizations, international secretariats, reform strategies, UNHCR, cambio, acnur, organizaciones internacionales, oit, secretarías, estratégicas de reforma

AbstractThis text aims to analyze the relations to power entertained both by the individual and the state. By way of introduction, the author explains the personal reasons why the problem of power has always fascinated him. He continues then to the role of the subject: is it on the wane or still very much alive? After a period during which the subject had disappeared from the writings of philosophers and sociologists, it is returning in full force. However, one can justifiably wonder whether each and every person possesses the will to stand up and move towards autonomy, or whether, on the contrary, a large majority of individuals willingly chooses conformism. The study of both positions leads to the conclusion that the two groups are not essentially different, and that only extreme circumstances can reveal whether one is apt to resist or would rather submit. Moreover, one realizes that any individual, even the one that seems the most passive and integrated, has opportunities to express his capacity for action.As for the state, it has not, following the thesis broadly disseminated in the last 10 years, become the «modest» and passive auxiliary of great multinational corporations that have appropriated the real power. Despite its weaknesses, or even because of them, the nation-state is still the main actor on the world scene. The author thinks that we are witnessing a determination to strengthen national identities — whence the resurgence of nationalism. In such conditions, what is the subject to do? Very little, unless he takes part in a collective movement. Nevertheless, if he does not wish to disappear, he must, as Spinoza said, ‘persevere in his being.'

In the current context of workplace transformation, this study examines local union representation and, more specifically, the roles assumed by local union presidents and vice-presidents. Taking into account the interaction between the representative, who interprets his role and maintains a vision and personal objectives in the face of his duties, and the sector and environment in which he operates, which presents him with particular problems and controls the resources at his disposal, this research analyzes how the perceived roles of local union leaders influence how they mobilize the resources available to them in assuming their representational functions.Based on empirical qualitative research conducted with twenty-nine local leaders operating in the telecommunications (15) and hotel (14) sectors in Quebec, our results show that these leaders perceive themselves as occupying a variety of roles—linked both to organizational and relational dimensions—that not only influence their propensity to mobilize certain union resources, but will also guide how these resources will be used. By entering into a variety of contexts and adopting an approach that recognizes the coexistence of multiple roles within a single leader, this study also highlights the significant leeway local leaders have in interpreting their roles, as well as the effect of the sectoral and union environments in which they operate, which partly constrain their scope of action. It should be noted, however, that while both these environments have an influence on the respondents' perceptions of their roles, the analysis suggests that they do not have an overriding effect on the appropriation of roles at the local level, since union leaders in the same sector and of the same union affiliation will not necessarily prioritize the same roles in the performance of their duties.

Keywords: représentation syndicale, représentants syndicaux locaux, rôles, ressources syndicales, télécommunications, hôtellerie, Québec, union representation, local union representatives, roles, union resources, telecommunications, hotel sector, Quebec, representación sindical, representantes sindicales locales, roles, recursos sindicales, telecomunicaciones, hotelería, Quebec

The development of photovoltaic systems on agricultural land in France is still largely undocumented, and this article offers a contribution to understand the underlying mechanisms. The authors explain how this development takes place at the crossroads of national public regulation, public and private actors' strategies and emerging territorial dynamics. They explain that the rules governing land use and renewable energy production constrain, but do not prohibit photovoltaics on agricultural land. They identify a priority rule for installation on artificial areas, but also four exceptions to the rule, all subject to interpretation processes. They then describe the strategies implemented in this context by agricultural actors, public authorities and energy companies. At local scales, energy companies seek out agricultural land, taking into account the doctrines asserted by local public authorities and professional agricultural organizations. On a national scale, these companies plead for the evolution of the game's rules, partly to restrict the regulatory obstacles to photovoltaic installations on agricultural land, partly to gain recognition for approaches that they present as demanding in their combination of agriculture and energy production.

Keywords: agriculture, énergies renouvelables, foncier, politiques publiques, sociologie, territoires, agriculture, renewable energies, land, public policies, sociology, territories

Through an ethnography conducted in the home studios of French techno artists, this research analyzes the articulation between contemporary digital and analog instruments in music creation practices. The study, based on in-depth interviews and in situ observations with five artists, reveals that rather than manifesting a binary opposition between analog and digital technologies, these practices reflect a pragmatic approach adapted to technical and economic constraints. Analysis of discourses on authenticity, recurring in the interviews, demonstrates that they reflect fewer concerns about sound quality than questions about the artistic legitimacy of a new generation of producers, in a musical genre historically associated with the use of analog instruments.

Keywords: analogique, musique, numérique, studio, techno, analog, digital, music, studio, techno