Zygmunt Bauman in France − puzzle assembly in 3 times: Past−present−future

Abstract

This article examines Zygmunt Bauman's limited academic reception in France, despite his global influence and numerous French translations. Building on Simon Tabet's ‘missed appointment’ concept, it analyses the fragmented publishing history and lack of a strong academic patron that hindered his integration. Challenges included postmodernism controversies and Bourdieu's dominance, leading to Bauman's perception as a public intellectual rather than a rigorous academic. The paper then explores recent shifts: growing interdisciplinarity; stabilized publishing; and President Macron's unexpected political use of Baumanian concepts. This political visibility, though ironic, has pushed Bauman's ‘liquid’ metaphors into mainstream discourse. The article suggests that France's current societal changes may finally foster deeper academic engagement with Bauman's work.

Keywords

Zygmunt Bauman France academic reception intellectual history sociology publishing liquid president Macronism interdisciplinarity

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