Quelques problèmes, méthodes et résultats d'une approche sociologique des normes d'équité

Abstract

At the border-line of sociologies of law and moral life, analyzing the sociogenesis of popular representations of basic normative categories such as contract, legitimacy, responsibility, equity, etc. can play a decisive part in the comprehension of the dynamics of normative systems. It is in this perspective that interest is here focused on the variations — according to group types — in the representations and practices of distributive justice. More precisely, by the means of a study of the solutions given to problematic family situations, it is attempted to show how justice principles and criteria, applied by the actors, can be completely changea according to the nature of interactions within the group. A theoretical examination of the principal stages of the "judgment" of distributive justice within the group is first carried out. It is then shown how preferential actualization of a particular principle of justice — merit, need or membership — depends on the form of cohesion of the group, the type of interindividual adaptation and coordination as well as the nature of the group integration with the social environnement.