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Teaching Sociology at Saint-Cyr, 1983-2004 and Beyond

A Personal Account

University of Rennes, b.boene{at}online.fr

This article recounts the course of sociology as a teaching subject at the French military academy from the personal perspective of one of its local protagonists. Having placed its introduction in context, it points up the motives behind a reform of studies (1982) which gave academic education greater scope and in which sociology played a central part. It goes through the various stages in the institution-building process that led from initially mixed reception to full internal acceptance as part of a common core of subjects. It analyzes the reasons for another major reconsideration, in 2000, of curricula and avenues of access, which endorsed and radicalized the previous reform's philosophy and turned sociology into a truly pivotal discipline—one that allows better integration of the academic and military sides of officer education. It assesses, in conclusion, the factors behind such a (fragile) success story.

Key Words: sociology • officer education • Saint-Cyr • French Army

Armed Forces & Society, Vol. 35, No. 1, 16-35 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0095327X07301047


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