French Case Research Articles

A regulatory culture for design. For a systemic quality of transformations

Design is nowadays facing a system of rules that has over time responded to the growing complexity of construction with a regulatory proliferation that acts precautionarily against infringements and the condition of “anomie”. This paper outlines new interpretative models of the relationship between rules and design that, overcoming this impasse, guarantee quality, flexibility, experimentation and innovation. Based on the illustration of the regulatory tasks positioned between obligation and guideline, and between duty and opportunity, keywords are highlighted to illuminate its peculiar aspects, demonstrating how the necessary paradigm shift is already inherent in its own conception. Finally, starting from a recent French case study, the essay summarises experimental approaches and strategies that pursue a possible innovation in national regulatory models.

A francophone political culture? Similarities and differences among French speakers in Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and France

This paper explores whether language shapes political culture by examining the case of French and a possible transnational francophone political culture. Using original survey data from Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and France collected in autumn 2020, we find only small within-country differences between francophones and non-francophones and limited transnational alignment. National patterns dominate even in multilingual federations with divided media landscapes and centrifugal politics. Only regarding feminism and drug policy do we find evidence of a common francophone orientation. In both domains, French mother tongue is correlated with the same distinct attitude regarding the role of the state compared to non-French speakers. These findings suggest that language is indeed related to political culture, albeit in a circumscribed manner. We thus contribute to scholarship on political behaviour and multicultural federalism by exploring how language shapes attitudes for individuals and groups alike.

Evaluation of two indicators according to the objectives of the sustainable use of pesticides directive (SUD). A French case study.

Abstract The European agricultural protests of 2023/2024 have prompted a reassessment of public policies at the EU level with the SUR put on a stand still. In France, in early 2024, the government replaced the historical monitoring indicator "NoDU'' with the European Harmonized Risk Indicator HRI1 to monitor the progress in the use of Plant Protection Products (PPP) in its National Action Plan (NAP). This study aimed to assess the relevance of these two indicators regarding the objectives outlined in the Sustainable Use of pesticides Directive ("SUD") that defines the framework within which they operate. To this effect, we analyzed the PPPs they consider, the official calculation formulas, but also their past evolution and possible future evolutions through putative scenarios of changes in PPP use and regulation: ban or not; substitution or not; for the top 5 synthetic insecticides; all synthetic insecticides; glyphosate; mancozeb; and the top five active ingredients from HRI1 risk group 3 (candidates to substitution). French PPP sales data from 2011 to 2021 were used for past evolutions and we used the last available figures in France, 2021, for simulations. Designed to monitor the use of PPPs by farmers, the NoDU mostly monitors achievement with regards to one aim of the SUD: to "reduce dependency on the use of pesticides" and promote "the use of Integrated Pest Management". Its value does not change with the mere substitution of a product by another, even if the second is deemed less toxic. This limits its ability to assess the "risks and impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment", the first aim of the directive. The HRI1 indicator is not supposed to strictly quantify the use of PPP and was found to inadequately reflect significant changes in PPP use, but also in the induced risk: 1) changes of use without a ban on a substance are limited and as such, past correlation of HRI1 with the QAI of the fourth group (banned PPPs) is very high (0.90); 2) the impact of variations of low-dose active ingredients is minimal, independently of their toxicity/ecotoxicity, even in the case of a ban. Thus, the putative withdrawal of all insecticides sold, even without substitution by other PPPs, would reduce HRI1 by only 4 in percentage points (from 67.1% to 63.1%), while NoDU would drop by 16 percentage points (from 94.5% to 78.5%), thus better reflecting both the paradigm shift in PPP use for farmers and the large diminution of the risk induced for the environment. On the opposite end, banning only glyphosate, a high dose active ingredient, even with full substitution with another herbicide, would bring the HRI1 down to 43.8% of its value in 2011-2013 and sells of glyphosate in 2021 would represent 47.8% of the HRI1 before the ban, when it is only 4.3% of the use of PPPs as measured by the NoDU. Finally, 2022 ban of mancozeb, even if fully substituted by other PPPs, might be enough to bring the HRI1 very near to the 50% target of the Ecophyto plan (56.9%), while the NoDU would remain at 94.5% of its average value in 2011-2013. Our results strongly suggest that HRI1 fails to adequately monitor the objectives of the SUD. We accordingly recommend that the European Commission reconsider the design of Harmonized Risk Indicators. NAP monitoring indicators at national and European level should encompass three primary features. First, the indicators should be founded on robust scientific and technical evidence. Second, they should consider toxicity and ecotoxicity profiles of PPPs. Last, they should be computable for each member state and allow comparisons in absolute values between member states to account for "the risk or use reduction" targets already achieved prior to the application of this Directive.

Potential impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy's Income Stabilisation Tool on farmers' incomes and crop diversity: A French case study

AbstractThis paper analyses the potential impacts of a hypothetical implementation of the Income Stabilisation Tool (IST) in France for the field crops sector. The IST is a risk management tool available within the 2014–2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to support farmers facing a severe drop in their incomes. This analysis was conducted using a farm‐level model relying on expected utility theory and based on positive mathematical programming with risk. The model was applied to a sample of 1375 field crop farms in France derived from Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data. Simulation results show that the uptake rate of the tool is relatively low, less than 37% in all scenarios. It is strongly dependent on CAP public support and on how much premium farmers have to pay. Highest uptake rates are observed in farms specialising in Other Field Crops, such as potatoes, pulses and sugar beet, and farms located in regions highly exposed to climatic risks. Previous experience with insurance favours the acceptance of the IST. Model results also show that the IST improves adopters' income and reduces income inequality. However, its impacts on crop diversity, measured by the Shannon index, are negative.

French grassroots volunteer organizations and prospective: Challenges and avenues for nonprofit research

AbstractThis article explores the importance of prospective for practitioners in the sector of grassroots volunteer organizations (GVOs, as associations). Prospective can be defined as an attitude of studying the future that must lead to action. In this, in times of crisis, prospective seems crucial and the GVOs' point of view can open a research agenda. The French case of GVOs deserves more attention because of their characteristics (e.g., 90% of GVOs have no employees, 75% of them have an annual budget of less than 10,000 euros), their relationship with the public authorities and their strong social impact on the community. The scenarios of evolution of the GVOs sector proposed by La Fonda are analyzed and become filters for the reading of the French literature dedicated to GVOs. They lead to four lines of research (isomorphism; normalization and standardization; evaluation and impact; organizational capacities). Following this, a research agenda dedicated to French GVOs is proposed. This work has intrinsic implications, conducting a literature review and proposing a research agenda compared to international agendas. It highlights the challenges GVOs face and the differences between desirable research in France and international research agendas. It constitutes possible inspirations for GVOs leaders thanks to a synoptic table.

Flow intermittence prediction using a hybrid hydrological modelling approach: influence of observed intermittence data on the training of a random forest model

Abstract. Rivers are rich in biodiversity and act as ecological corridors for plant and animal species. With climate change and increasing anthropogenic water demand, more frequent and prolonged periods of drying in river systems are expected, endangering biodiversity and river ecosystems. However, understanding and predicting the hydrological mechanisms that control periodic drying and rewetting in rivers is challenging due to a lack of studies and hydrological observations, particularly in non-perennial rivers. Within the framework of the Horizon 2020 DRYvER (Drying River Networks and Climate Change) project, a hydrological modelling study of flow intermittence in rivers is being carried out in three European catchments (Spain, Finland, France) characterised by different climate, geology, and anthropogenic use. The objective of this study is to represent the spatio-temporal dynamics of flow intermittence at the reach level in mesoscale river networks (between 120 and 350 km2). The daily and spatially distributed flow condition (flowing or dry) is predicted using the J2000 distributed hydrological model coupled with a random forest classification model. Observed flow condition data from different sources (water level measurements, photo traps, citizen science applications) are used to build the predictive model. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the observed flow condition dataset (sample size, spatial and temporal representativity) on the performance of the predictive model. Results show that the hybrid modelling approach developed in this study allows the spatio-temporal patterns of drying to be accurately predicted in the three catchments, with a sensitivity criterion above 0.9 for the prediction of dry events in the Finnish and French case studies and 0.65 in the Spanish case study. This study shows the value of combining different data sources of observed flow condition to reduce the uncertainty in predicting flow intermittence.

The creation of collective enterprises for social impact: An agency perspective

There is growing recognition of the important role that collective enterprises for social impact can play in resolving grand challenges. New forms of collective organisation are appearing on a global basis, yet we still know little about the process by which they are created. Paradoxically, the literature tends to rely on the concept of individual agency to explain the emergence of collective organisations. Based on inductive research of two French cases, our analysis unpacks the key role of collective agency in collective enterprises created for social impact. By revealing three dynamics – collective entrepreneurship, collective animatorship and collective organising – and their interrelations, this study provides conceptual clarification of the understudied notion of collective agency in entrepreneurship. The study also takes a fresh look at the creation of collective enterprises for social impact beyond the vision of a ‘heroic’ entrepreneur.

WHY DO MIDDLE POWERS PROJECT FORCES IN DISTANT REGIONS? THE CASE OF FRANCE IN THE INDO-PACIFIC

France has steadily increased its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years. However, a middle power projecting forces far away represents an anomaly for neorealism, which generally expects non-great power states to focus their limited resources on their regional neighbourhood. This article proposes a new neorealist framework to explain why middle powers sometimes intervene in distant regions and tests it on the French case. Such interventions are likely if four conditions are met. First, the middle power must live in a relatively safe neighbourhood. Second, the distant region of interest must be open to power projection. Third, this region must have a potential hegemon that threatens to overturn the local balance of power. Fourth, economic benefits must offset the middle power’s cost of projecting forces there. This study helps explain French policy in the Indo-Pacific, fills a gap in neorealist theorising, and contributes to the literature on middle-power behaviour.

Politicising and depoliticising metropolitan governance in France: the case of Bordeaux Métropole

ABSTRACT The institutions of metropolitan governance have often been analysed as emblematic cases of depoliticisation mechanisms at play in contemporary political systems. Based on the French case, and more specifically on an analysis of metropolitan governance in Bordeaux, this article puts forward two types of proposals that nuance and refine this diagnosis of depoliticisation. First, it challenges the idea of an inexorable and linear trend towards depoliticisation. The processes and strategies of depoliticisation are inextricably linked to parallel processes and strategies of politicisation. It is far from certain that the logic of depoliticisation always prevails. The article, therefore, argues for a ‘symmetrical’ and ‘dialectical’ reading of these processes. Second, it proposes a reading that distinguishes between two distinct but complementary dimensions of the processes of de/politicisation: the de/politicisation of the metropolitan institution as a political space, on the one hand, and the de/politicisation of the metropolitan bureaucracy, on the other.

Parental occupations at birth and risk of adult testicular germ cell tumors in offspring: a French nationwide case-control study.

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most frequent cancer in young men in developed countries. Parental occupational exposures during early-life periods are suspected to increase TGCT risk. The objective was to estimate the association between parental occupations at birth and adult TGCT. A case-control study was conducted, including 454 TGCT cases aged 18-45 from 20 French university hospitals, matched to 670 controls based on region and year of birth. Data collected from participants included parental jobs at birth coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupation-1968 and the French nomenclature of activities-1999. Odds ratios (OR) for TGCT and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression, adjusting for TGCT risk factors. Paternal jobs at birth as service workers (OR = 1.98, CI 1.18-3.30), protective service workers (OR = 2.40, CI 1.20-4.81), transport equipment operators (OR = 1.96, CI 1.14-3.37), specialized farmers (OR = 2.66, CI 1.03-6.90), and maternal jobs as secondary education teachers (OR = 2.27, CI 1.09-4.76) or in secondary education (OR = 2.35, CI 1.13-4.88) were significantly associated with adult TGCT. The risk of seminoma was increased for the above-mentioned paternal jobs and that of non-seminomas for public administration and defence; compulsory social security (OR = 1.99, CI 1.09-3.65); general, economic, and social administration (OR = 3.21, CI 1.23-8.39) for fathers; and secondary education teacher (OR = 4.67, CI 1.87-11.67) and secondary education (OR = 3.50, CI 1.36-9.01) for mothers. Some paternal jobs, such as service workers, transport equipment operators, or specialized farmers, and maternal jobs in secondary education seem to be associated with an increased risk of TGCT with specific features depending on the histological type. These data allow hypotheses to be put forward for further studies as to the involvement of occupational exposures in the risk of developing TGCT, such as exposure to pesticides, solvents, or heavy metals.

The Second Birth of Christopher Lasch in France: Roots and Mechanisms of a Postmortem Success

How a US intellectual, Marxist sociologist, and history professor, who died in the mid-1990s, eventually became famous in the French public debate of ideas, mainly during the 2010s—nearly 20 years after his death—via a dual form of promotion undertaken and conducted by a “tory anarchist” philosopher, Jean-Claude Michéa, who is a specialist in the works of George Orwell, Marcel Mauss, and Karl Marx. Michéa is nowadays considered the main representative essayist of an atypical “anti-modern socialism,” or “conservative socialism,” a complex ideology in which philosophical illiberalism plays a key role. This is a story of an intellectual throwback to the origins of an astonishing and unexpected rediscovery (or, more precisely, discovery, in this French case), which principally took place in the south of France and began during the end of the 20th century.

Assessing the relevance of energy indicators as sustainability screening metrics for the decarbonisation of industrial heat through electrification

Power generation faces the challenge of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions without shifting the burden to other environmental impacts. Energy and exergy-based environmental indicators have proven to some extent to be effective environmental proxies for the current energy mix but the robustness of this approach has barely been discussed in the frame of energy transition scenarios. Hence, the aim of this study is to analyse their relevance in the context of decarbonisation of industrial heat through electrification. To this end, we investigate the potential relationships between two different energy indicators and environmental indicators using life cycle assessment (Ecoinvent database, 16 environmental indicators, 2 energy indicators) for 28 pairs of energy sources shifting for the production of 1 kWh of electricity. For the reference French case, no similar trends across all sources of energy, for given environmental and energy indicators are found neither between all environmental and energy indicators. The extension to other cases is discussed, leading to the same conclusion. These results highlight the need for a multi-criteria assessment to evaluate the impacts of industrial heat in a context of intensive process electrification, which will be country dependent because of the various strategies in achieving net-zero electricity mix.

Supplementary Data

1. Feedback from MALs’ participants - Questionnaire2. Luederitz, C. et al. (2017) evaluation framework applied to the MALs’ case studies 3. Case studies detailed description3.1 Description of the Greek Case study 3.2 Description of the French Case study 3.3 Description of the Spanish Case study4. Methodology implemented in the Multi-Actor-Lab4.1 Stakeholder selection4.2 Sectoral divided workshops - Conceptual maps 4.3 Post-workshop – Combining mental maps4.4 Multi-sectoral workshops5. References

The role of a green economy in revitalising shrinking cities: Comparative case studies in France and Mexico

This paper aims to research different strategies for developing the green economy in shrinking cities. Considering urban shrinkage and the green economy as two extended concepts, a French town in post-Fordist transition and a Mexican post-mining town are selected as the most diverse/similar systems to indicate different strategies for sustainable development in shrinking cities. Embedded into different national backgrounds, including urban dynamics and support schemes for the green economy, the selected cases share the objectives of greening and regrowing strategies relying on other sectors of the green economy. The methodology applied is qualitative, including fieldwork, semi-structured interview techniques, carried out in person or remotely, and questionnaires. Findings show some positive results regarding sustainability and ecological transition in the French case, while regrowth trends were reached in the Mexican case. However, the analysis leads to uncertain scenarios for positive long-term impacts, especially due to uncertainty around future supporting policies for territorial cohesion and sustainability at national and regional levels.

Perennial soil characteristics are the main factor driving in vitro inhibition of the wheat fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum in a French case study

AbstractSoils are termed ‘suppressive’ when they can limit the emergence and propagation of plant diseases. However, little is known regarding what factors determine suppressiveness and whether they could be improved for a given soil. Agricultural practices, such as tillage systems, influence the properties of the soil, and could be a lever to improve soil suppression of pathogens. In this study, we investigated the impact of soil type and crop management practices on soil suppressiveness towards Fusarium graminearum, a major winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) pathogen. As it is transmitted via crop residues left on soil, F. graminearum is susceptible to soil suppression. Soil suppressiveness has been evaluated in more than a 100 sampled fields in the Limagne plain (Puy‐de‐Dôme, France), to represent a great diversity of soil types (either calcisol, vertisol or fluvisol) and cropping systems (organic, reduced tillage or intensive cropping systems). The physicochemical composition of the sampled soils and crop management practices, identified through farmer surveys, were included in a generalized linear mixed‐effect model to explain soil fungistasis. A fungistasis test was performed by putting a plug of PDA‐agar inoculated with Fusarium in contact with the soil and measuring the area of fungal growth. This test revealed a wide variety of soil fungistatic properties, ranging from conducive soils (22% of soil covered by fungal growth) to very suppressive soils (1% of soil covered). Suppressiveness was related to soil perennial properties (p‐value <.001) rather than practices. Overall, these results show that soil type and composition play a key role in fungistasis, and that soil suppressiveness is a complex, multifactorial process.

Giant cell arteritis associated with scalp, tongue or lip necrosis: A French multicenter case control study

BackgroundScalp, tongue and/or lip necrosis are rare complications of GCA. ObjectivesTo describe characteristics and outcome of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) -related scalp, tongue and/or lip necrosis. MethodsA retrospective nationwide multicenter study included 20 GCA patients with scalp, tongue, and/or lip necrosis diagnosed between 1998 and 2021 and 80 GCA control patients matched for age, sex and management period. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify baseline characteristics associated with scalp, tongue and/or lip necrosis. ResultsCompared to controls, patients with scalp, tongue and/or lip necrosis showed significantly more cranial manifestations (headache, p=0.045; scalp tenderness, p=0.006; jaw claudication, p=0.02). No differences were observed between both groups regarding the occurrence of visual symptoms or large vessel involvement. At diagnosis, GCA patients with necrosis more likely received IV methylprednisolone infusions and higher doses of oral prednisone. There were no differences regarding vascular complications during follow up. Compared to controls, survival was decreased in GCA patients with necrosis (p=0.003). In a multivariable logistic regression model, scalp tenderness [odds ratio (OR) 4.81(95 % CI: 1.57, 14.79), p = 0.006] and cognitive disorder [OR 6.42 (95 % CI: 1.01, 40.60), p=0.048] were identified as factors associated to scalp, tongue, and/or lip necrosis. ConclusionOur results suggest that scalp, tongue, and/or lip necrosis is associated to higher mortality in GCA patients. Scalp tenderness and cognitive disorder were significant factors associated to this very rare complication of GCA.

Empowerment and disempowerment in climate assemblies: The French citizens' convention on climate

AbstractCitizens' assemblies to address climate change have multiplied in recent years. Seen as a useful tool to provide solutions to the climate crisis, they have, however, struggled to impact public policy. Additionally, little is known about how citizens' proposals are diluted or rejected in climate assemblies. We explore this situation through a qualitative case study of the French Citizens' Convention on Climate. The French case is unique in that it involved the incorporation of assembly participants in the process of integrating assembly proposals into a new Law on Climate and Resilience. We use semi‐structured interviews and analysis of secondary documentation to understand how citizens' views were finally excluded from draft legislation. Findings show remarkable citizen empowerment taking place during the Citizens' Convention, which nevertheless vanished during the joint elaboration of the law, allowing certain political and economic interests to impose their vision. We suggest that organisers of the process and social movements engaged in climate assemblies should be aware of such risks and try to control how decision‐makers adopt citizen proposals for producing legislation in order to avoid exclusions and democracy deficits in democratic climate policy‐making. We discuss and reflect on the potential and limits of deliberative and agonistic approaches to democracy and climate action.

Human Circovirus is not detected in plasma pools for fractionation.

Human Circovirus 1 and 2 were recently described in a French hepatitis case and in two Chinese drug users. Because of its small size and presumable high resistance to both inactivation and removal by nanofilters, such viruses-if determined to be even pathogenic-should be considered with respect to the safety of plasma derivatives. We, therefore, investigated the prevalence and titer of these viruses in plasma pools before fractionation. We tested for the presence of Human Circovirus 1 and 2 by qPCR in 48 plasma pools derived from healthy donors from Europe, USA, and Japan, corresponding to more than 200,000 plasma donations. We did not detect the presence of Human Circovirus 1 and 2 in any of the plasma pools, with a limit of detection of 300-600 genome copies per mL of plasma. These results indicate that high levels of circovirus are not widely prevalent in such donations.

Do local authorities take human rights seriously? Lessons from the French case

ABSTRACT The central government has the primary responsibility for the protection of human rights. However, several factors such as decentralisation raise questions about the role of local authorities in this area. Our paper examines this issue through an interdisciplinary approach, combining international law and political sociology. Our focus lies on the case of France, the ‘homeland’ of human rights: do French local elected authorities always take human rights seriously? Our research design combines qualitative and quantitative methods. After providing a background of the international legal context, this paper will present the findings on human rights local perceptions and practices of elected representatives. Human rights’ perceptions of these subnational political actors strongly depend on their educational qualifications and personal commitments. The same applies to the hierarchy that they draw between fundamental freedoms, social rights, and environmental rights. By contrast, local practices in favour of human rights vary most importantly according to the local authorities’ status and demographic weight, rather than their political hue. When human and financial resources are scarce, the goodwill showcased by local elected representatives is not sufficient to foster the proper implementation of human rights.

Social Determinants of Health: A Multilingual Standardized Patient Case to Practice Interpreter Use in a Telehealth Visit.

The growing diversity of the United States population and strong evidence of disparities in health care make it critically important to educate health care professionals to effectively address issues of culture. To that end, we developed a simulation for teaching interpreter use in a telehealth setting. Our contribution of non-English language preference (NELP) patient cases in Spanish, Tagalog, French, and Igbo advances existing literature by combining the skills of interpreter use and telehealth while widening the array of cultures represented. Simulations were implemented for two cohorts of 60 first-year medical students. In the pilot, nine groups of six to seven students and one faculty met via Zoom with an NELP patient complaining of fatigue, weakness, and cough. When students determined the need for an interpreter, faculty admitted one to the meeting, and the telehealth visit continued. Postsession activities included debriefing and writing a progress note. Course evaluation comments from the first cohort and a postencounter survey of the second cohort were positive. They revealed that students learned to speak slower, in shorter phrases, and directly to the patient. Learners completed note documentation according to a rubric. This low-stakes activity provides faculty with a resource for introducing cultural competence into the curriculum. The original Spanish version of the case has been translated into three additional languages, providing a diverse representation of the NELP population. Important points for communicating through an interpreter are practiced in a telehealth setting with a fatigue case.