Desan, Mathieu

Research

research overview

Mathieu Desan is a historical sociologist with substantive interests in social theory, political sociology, and critical sociology. His current work examines the constitution of political identities in and through political contention, and how political discourses become articulated and disarticulated in cases of dramatic shifts in political commitments. He is working on a book manuscript tracing the transformation of a group of dissident French socialists into fascists during the interwar period and World War II. He has also written on the concept of capital in Bourdieu and Marx, the link between Durkheimian sociology and fascism, Polanyi's theory of fascism, and narratives of Detroit's urban crisis.

keywords

Political Sociology, Cultural Sociology, Critical Sociology, History of Sociology, Historical Sociology

Publications

selected publications

chapter
- Does Bourdieu “Extend” Marx’s Concept of Capital?. 199-215. 2022
- Bourdieu, Marx e il concetto di capitale: una critica del modello dell'estensione. 203-223. 2020
- Polanyis Faschismustheorie 2019
- Fascism 2019
- The Spontaneous Sociology of Detroit's Hyper-Crisis 2015
journal article
- French Colonial Sociology and the Struggle for Scientific Autonomy - ; George Steinmetz, The Colonial Origins of Modern Social Thought (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2023, 576 p.).. European Journal of Sociology. 419-424. 2023
- Realist and Historicist Modes of Critique in Critical Sociology. Critical Sociology. 589-612. 2023
- The Problem of Class Abstractionism. Sociological Theory. 3-26. 2023
- Is the National Front Republican and Does It Matter? Class, Culture, and the Rise of the Nationalist Right. Political Power and Social Theory. 53-80. 2020
- The Invention of Neo-Socialism: The Dynamics of Schism and Doctrinal Distinction in the French Socialist Party. Comparative Studies in Society and History: an international quarterly. 680-711. 2019

Teaching

courses taught

SOCY 2031 - Social Problems
Primary Instructor - Fall 2019 / Fall 2020
Examines various social problems in the U.S. through a traditional sociological framework focused on race, class, and gender. Considers such problems as economic, racial, and gender inequality as manifestations of broader structural dynamics rooted in unequal relations of power. Addresses topics such as mass incarceration, poverty, segregation, drug use, immigration, and war and terrorism.
SOCY 3001 - Classical Theory
Primary Instructor - Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
In-depth study of classical sociological theorists, particularly Marx, Durkheim, and Weber. Examines their roles in defining the discipline of sociology.
SOCY 5201 - Graduate Seminar in Sociological Theory
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Examines theoretical approaches to core issues and problems in sociology, including the nature of society, the relationship between society and the individual, the role of culture and social structure, the sources of social power, and the conceptual structure of sociological knowledge itself.
SOCY 5202 - Graduate Seminar in Contemporary Theory
Primary Instructor - Spring 2022 / Spring 2023
Examines selected sociological theories considered contemporary, including but not limited to cultural sociology, feminist theory, postcolonial thought, actor-network theory, microsociology, field theory, and poststructuralism. Discusses the formation of a sociological canon and the challenge of categorizing theory. Considers the process of theorizing as an acquired skill. Previously offered as a special topics course.
SOCY 6821 - Graduate Sociology Forum 1
Primary Instructor - Fall 2019 / Spring 2020
Introduces first-year graduate students to the full range of substantive topics, research programs, and other projects in which graduate sociology faculty are engaged. Provides a forum in which issues of the discipline are presented and discussed. Features weekly presentations by graduate sociology faculty.