The ‘referentiel’ as a discursive regime: understanding political regulation

Panel Chairs:

Eve Fouilleux, CNRS, University of Montpellier, eve.fouilleux@cirad.fr

Bruno Jobert, CNRS, Science Po Grenoble, Bruno.Jobert@upmf-grenoble.fr

Philippe Zittoun, LET-ENTPE, University of Lyon, pzittoun@gmail.com

Abstract:

The concept of 'référentiel' has been developed in France in the 80s. It underlines the existence of specific reference frames aimed at combining in a single representation the contradictory imperatives that are inherent to any public action. While initial works in this literature were focused on the referentiel of 'modernisation', current ones would rather concentrate on 'neoliberalism' or 'sustainability' for example. More plastic and more extensive than the paradigm, this concept can be described as a discursive regime in which public and private actors inscribe their policy proposals, in order to legitimate them -and themselves- and to build coalitions. As such, the referential cannot be conceived separately from a vision of politics fully integrating conflicts and social domination.

Such an agonistic approach of discursive interactions opens up two main fields of investigation. The first one relates to the construction of hegemony. The aim is to analyse the processes through which actors are able to build and impose a specific language and some specific terms for the discursive interactions to take place. The second one seeks to explore both the limits and the implications of a public debate which departs from the unrealistic figure of deliberation (more often than not approached as a passionless exchange amongst disincarnated individual reasons). The aim here is to understand how antagonistic positions might be transformed into adverse ones, without an aim of eliminating the opponent.

In sum, as a mean to better understand political regulation and legitimation processes, this panel aims at gathering communications which do not compulsorily use the specific concept of referential, but which focus on how actors legitimate and justify their policy proposals and how their discursive strategies relate to power and domination stakes. Theoretical, empirical or methodological oriented papers are most welcome.