Regulation, Norms and Modernities [ LSOC2010 ]

The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.

First step : history of the issue in classical sociology The framing of norms and normativity by the classical sociological tradition: descriptive and normative con-cepts of production and implementation of norms; intentional and non-intentional regulation; difference be-tween law-like and rule-following behaviour, normality and normativity; legal expression of rules. Special references to classical authors will be made.

Second step : current discussions in regulation theory Investigation of main current trends in sociology in the field of regulation : self-regulative systems (Hayek, Luhmann) ; the Regulation approach to capitalism (Aglietta, Boyer) ; rational choice theories; comprehensive (Reynaud, économie des conventions) and constructionist (Latour) frameworks. Third step : regulation and globalisation Application of discussed concepts of regulation to global issues : informal economy, Euro-regulation etc. Atten-tion devoted to North and South societies.