To intervene in the media as sociologists. A little exercise of reflexivity on the mediatisation of researchers and knowledge
Résumé
This communication will propose a problematized reflexion concerning the intervention of sociologists in the media. This documentary is based on a current and true case. The experience is twofold : experience of a researcher requested to be a "scientific adviser" for a documentary film about work, broadcast on a wellknown French national channel, in primetime. And experience of researchers who were asked to comment on some video extracts as "experts". Their intervention were to be broadcast on the channel's website to comment the documentary. Why accepting ? Under which conditions ? In order to do/ say what ? What possible benefits, both in the field of the research (validation or invalidation by peers) and in the social field (Increase of the domination ? Or development of different forms of resistance) ? The website provides a “forum” opened to all contributions. The content analysis of this forum shows extreme, sometimes violent and insulting reactions towards the film director and the "eggheads". What to do with it ? What to say about it ? Should there be an other intervention on this media ? The question arises even more when the researchers are affected by this criticism of their criticism. What does this question of their practice and their position as a researcher ? This documentary deals with the place of work in society, and in return questions the sociologist's work. This reflexive three voices narration questions our activity as it constructs itself and as it is perceived through the mainstream media and by our peers. It questions its political role, the norms that are linked to it, and it revives disputation about criticism in social sciences.