On the Origins of Clinical Sociology in France: Some Milestones

Abstract

There are historical foundations in classical sociology on which we can establish solid ground for the development of clinical sociology in France. European and French references are focused on in this text, starting with founders such as Durkheim, Mauss and Gurvitch. The relationship between sociology and psychoanalysis is a specific feature in France and Europe, at the beginning of the twentieth century. There were also major influences from the Freudian-Marxist perspective like Herbert Marcuse, the Frankfurt School and others. The development of social psychology in France, socio-institutional approaches and sociology are the more immediate roots of the current clinical sociology. Finally, North American influences (particularly from the USA) also are highlighted—social psychologists like Kurt Lewin and J. L. Moreno; psychologists belonging to the humanistic movement such as Carl Rogers; and organizational theorists involved in the social planning of change.KeywordsFranceHistory of sociologyPsycho-sociologyClinical sociologyInterdisciplinary