Le contexte est-il un concept légitime de l'explication sociologique?

Abstract

Context plays a role in many variants of the sociological explanation. Nevertheless: 1 /« Individual-in-context » is a copy of Gestalttheorie's « figure-on-background », whose holism is incompatible with all individualistic paradigms; 2 /Con-trarily to Gestalt's concept of background, « sociological context » is undefined as for scale, limits and content. This is why context cannot be causal subject of a well-formed state-ment: individuals only are able of action; 3 /In regard to its objective aspects, context is reduceable to the social network of the individual; 4 /In regard to its subjective aspects, context is reduceable to a belief of the individual. Sociology of science gives us such a case of a spontaneous reduction: the scientists' action has been first refered to the « scientific com-munity », then to « self-regulated communities », then to « specialized sub-communities » or « invisible colleges », and finally to « networks of scientific collaboration ». Conse-quently, it is not necessary to maintain the concept of context, except as a fiction or a way-to-speak: explanatory uses are ill-founded; referential use is avoidable.© Presses Universitaires de France. Tous droits réservés pour tous pays.