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AbstractThe presumptive impact of globalization on the legitimacy of western democracies has renewed the academic interest for that concept. The hypothesis of an erosion or transformation of legitimacy is now widely familiar. But has it been confirmed empirically ? The text suggests, first, that the communicative dimension of legitimation processes has been neglected in the extant literature. It then sketches the contours of a research agenda centred on the (de-)construction of legitimacy in the public sphere and presents findings from a comparative study on legitimation discourses in German, Swiss, British, and U.S. media. Our findings do not confirm the hypothesis of a generalized legitimacy crisis of the democratic nation state—the discursive support for major institutions of the four countries examined remains quite pronounced and, to a large extent, based on democratic criteria.

Do by-elections have the same characteristics and follow the same tendencies that general elections do? We propose an analysis of the turnout and the performance of minor parties during Quebec's by-elections since 1970. We also examine the performance of by-election elected incumbents in subsequent general elections. Finally, we verify if by-elections constitute, as many suggest, referendums on the government. In short, we try to determine the dynamics specific to by-elections as well as their importance in Quebec's political life.

Keywords: élections partielles, taux de participation, démission, Québec, by-elections, turnout, resignation, Quebec

With the rise of environmental concerns and the advent of the precautionary principle, disaster risk reduction has become a central issue in public policy. In this context, researchers and operators of monitoring networks of telluric phenomena are increasingly called upon by the authorities and the general public to intervene as experts. However, the transition from the practice of research to the situation of expertise is not without difficulty. In that respect, the case of volcanic risk in the Lesser Antilles arc is particularly revealing given the highly variable spatio-temporal scales that characterize it, the numerous actors spanning the entire spectrum of society, the intrinsic and considerable epistemic and aleatory uncertainties, its low recurrence rate compared to other risks, but also the considerable chain-link specificity of its impacts that can significantly effect small vulnerable island states embedded in the legacy of a complex history, regional, and international context. One of the difficulties—rarely addressed by researchers acting as experts and by researchers studying expertise situations—is the fragmentation of disciplines into different specialties. This issue can only be tackled by transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. This article, written jointly by researchers in political science and in Earth sciences, illustrates how knowledge of the epistemological tensions that underlie Earth sciences can contribute to enriching the analysis of public action on the issue of risk management. Our reflection is illustrated by two case studies: the crisis associated with the phreatic eruption of La Soufriere in Guadeloupe (in 1976), and the crisis associated with the magmatic eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano of Montserrat (1995-ongoing). It reveals that the tools mobilized by politists—like the concepts of expertise, controversies, instruments of public action or even epistemic communities—cannot fully capture the plurality of knowledge and know-how developed by experts facing intricate problems. This observation is not unique to volcanic risks. Most of the phenomena that threaten our societies today require, indeed, to take into account a complexity that goes well beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. Getting out of the disciplinary isolation is difficult. This is evidenced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) experts' efforts over more than three decades to harmonize not only the contributions of different research communities but to articulate them to make them operational for international public policy. Yet, the analysis of public action can only enrich itself to make the bet of such a dialogue.

Keywords: réduction des risques de catastrophe, expertise, risque volcanique, politiques publiques, gestion de crise, disaster risk reduction, expertise, volcanic risk, public policies, crisis management

This paper describes and analyses the introduction of reindeer herding in Amadjuak, on Baffin Island, in 1921. The operation involved several Saami families and Inuit, hired at the last moment to help the Saami and take over reindeer herding. But the operation resulted in a failure and all the reindeer died, many of them eaten by wolves and dogs. Using archival sources – and more particularly the journal of the Hudson's Bay Company agent – as well as oral sources, the authors evoke the reasons explaining this dramatic experience. They emphasize the difficulty of transforming hunters into herders, these two activities being connected with quite different perspectives of the relationships between human beings and animals. Finally they stress the fact that among Inuit, the caribou is often associated with the deceased and with spirits (ijirait), a connection that is never made with respect to the reindeer imported by the qallunaat.

Keywords: Inuits, Saamis, élevage du renne, caribou, Amadjuak, Inuit, Saami, reindeer herding, caribou, Amadjuak, Inuit, Saami, cría de renos, caribú, Amadjuak

This essay examines the status of women artists directly or indirectly related to the Automatist Movement in Quebec during the 1940s. Some of these women were signatories of the group's notorious Refus global (1948) manifesto, which marked a turning point in radical modern thought in Quebec. The author first recontextualizes the contribution of women artists to the art vivant milieu during the inter-war years; she then discusses an important aspect of radical modernity (avant-garde) as represented by the Automatists (1942-54): the plurality of disciplines and the trans-disciplinary practice, characteristic of nearly all the women artists involved in this movement. In conclusion, she offers an analysis of the significance of the signing of the Refus global for women artists: had they not done so, most of them would not be recognized as part of the history of this artistic and literary avant-garde movement, let alone the history of art in general.This study reveals the extent to which avant-garde activity relies on theoretical thought and writing to become a part of history. That few women have made their mark in artistic avant-garde movements has been attributed, in part, to the fact that they have written little, if at all. The same would no doubt be true of the women artists discussed here had they not signed their name to the Refus global. A number of them would undoubtedly have been acclaimed even without this signatory consecration, but recognition would have come at a later date and in another context.

The current international legal system is heavily based on the signature of conventions and the recognition of international and regional bodies by the states. But notable differences exist, which beg questions concerning the application of the decisions of the regional bodies and the possible impact on the domestic law of a State where the national legal norms are not entirely compatible with those of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Brazil and the Inter-American human rights system (IHRS) have a relation which illustrates in detail this reality. To understand the participation of the Brazilian State, it is vital to grasp the impact of Latin America on the elaboration of human rights, in particular the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is with this contextualization that it is possible to understand in large part the variability of the intensity of the Brazilian participation in the competence of the IHRS. For historical reasons, the meeting of the past and the present in regards of human rights in Brazil is tumultuous. While the IHRS used to have in the past an approach aiming at the democratic transition, it evolved towards an emphasis on egalitarian political, social and legal approaches. The IHRS' jurisprudence is therefore a legal binding for the promotion of national justice at the legislative, executive and legal levels. The aftermath of dictatorships consequently still has influence on the Brazilian rule of law.

Keywords: Système interaméricain des droits de l'homme, Déclaration américaine des droits et devoirs de l'homme, Déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme, transition démocratique, droit brésilien, impact de l'Amérique latine, apport contraignant, dictateurs, justice nationale, État de droit, Inter-American human rights system, American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, democratic transition, Brazilian law, impact of Latin America, legal binding, dictators, national justice, rule of law

Research demonstrates that the social inclusion of individuals presenting with intellectual disabilities (ID) is often limited due to disparities in obtaining meaningful employment. However, very little research addresses this important topic, and especially in the context of linguistic minority. This article focuses on the social inclusion of Francophones in Ontario presenting with ID, specifically in the area of employment integration, and aims to contribute to the limited body of literature addressing this area. It reviews the scientific literature on the vocational training and employment integration of persons with ID. From those results we can begin understanding that Francophones presenting with ID in Ontario experience various forms of social inequalities related to their disability; this gap is widened when they must claim supports and services in French. In conclusion, this article helps identify the existing social inequalities amongst this population and address the most appropriate approaches to support their social inclusion in the context of employment integration.

Keywords: déficience intellectuelle, inclusion sociale, inégalités sociales, mentorat, formation professionnelle, francophonie, minorité linguistique, formation post-secondaire, intellectual disability, social inclusion, social inequalities, mentoring, vocational training, francophonie, linguistic minority, postsecondary training

This article reports the findings of efforts to become part of the fields of investigation by two research teams using the photovoice method. Based on the portrait painted by those who came before, this method has become a part of current practice in participative research-action, making it a judicious choice to help in understanding the needs of vulnerable youth and stimulating their power to act. Our experience with implementing this method with this population revealed various challenges, issues and questions that encouraged the first two authors to revisit what had been written on the subject. The results of our review reveal the presence of a practice that extensively adapts photovoice method when using it with vulnerable youth. However, these adaptations pose a risk of limiting the emancipating scope of the method. The also call into question the capacity of researchers and institutions to fully exploit it.

Keywords: Méthode photovoix, jeunes vulnérables, recherche-action participative, enjeux éthiques et méthodologiques, Photovoice method, vulnerable youth, participative research-action, ethical and methodological issues