This text is part of the special notebook The 100 years of Guy Rocher
The enigma of social change. This is what has always been with Guy Rocher who, in addition to being an eminent sociologist, is also an intellectual and a committed citizen. This is what pushed him to take an interest in the sociology of reforms in Quebec, a path which had been very little studied before him, and to look into the sociology of law, which makes it possible to implement these profound changes.
“When sociologists observe reality, they realize that most of the time, things do not seem to change,” says Yan Sénéchal, lecturer at the Department of Sociology and the Faculty of Law at the University of Montreal (UdeM). ). Then, there are things that ultimately seem to be transformed, but it takes time. And sometimes there are things that change much more quickly. But why ? The explanation of social change is an enigma for the sociologist. »
Social changethis is also the title of the third and final volume of the famous Introduction to general sociology by Guy Rocher, published in 1969.
In general, sociologists have been very interested in great revolutions in history, such as the French Revolution or the Bolshevik Revolution, and this is quite normal, since they are quite spectacular phenomena. But other social changes, even if they are not part of a major revolution, are just as worthy of interest, according to Guy Rocher.
Inspired by the French sociologist Alexis de Tocqueville, who died in 1859, Guy Rocher argues that in democratic societies where the standard of living has been relatively stabilized – although there are still inequalities – revolutions will become increasingly rare, if not non-existent.
“Does this mean that there is no longer social change in democratic societies? Rocher will say: “Obviously not.” There are still other sources of social change, and one of the sources that we have really little studied is reforms,” explains Yan Sénéchal, who is also scientific coordinator of the Access to Law and Justice (ADAJ) project. ) at the Center for Research in Public Law (CRDP) at UdeM.
Reforms are an important mechanism for transformation in democratic societies, he adds.
Big reforms… or small revolutions
“There are many more reforms than revolutions,” adds Pierre Noreau, full professor at the Faculty of Law at UdeM. Most social changes are established by a side step. The law is a very good example of this. In general, when we change laws, we try to see if we can use a legal structure that already exists, and we take a step aside. We’re just going a little further. There are fewer major advances and steps forward. »
“It’s quite funny that we’re talking about the Quiet Revolution, actually! says Yan Sénéchal. I tend to tell my students that we could also call this period in Quebec a “radical reformation”. There have been many reforms, particularly in health and education. »
Reforms in which Guy Rocher actively participated, particularly that of education, as commissioner of the Parent commission.
Subsequently, he will be deputy minister for cultural and social development, within the governments of the Parti Québécois, and will collaborate in the writing of the Charter of the French language, law 101, alongside Camille Laurin.
The sociology of law
These experiences in politics and his interest in the sociology of reforms led Guy Rocher to study more broadly the way in which a public policy is implemented: where does it emerge, how does it translate into reality and into the law ? This is what pushed the great sociologist to study the sociology of law, explains Pierre Noreau, who worked with Guy Rocher on a health reform which was based on a bill constructed in the wake of the Rochon report, tabled in 1988 following the Commission of Inquiry into Health and Social Services.
“His time in the government apparatus led him to realize the place that the law took, the fact that the State expresses itself through the law… it represented a new interest for him,” adds Mr. Noreau.
At the time, at the turn of the 1980s, the sociology of law was a field that had been relatively little studied in Quebec. By developing the concepts of “legal pluralism”, “legal orders” and “internormativity”, Guy Rocher demonstrates that State law, therefore laws and regulations, is organized around characteristics which are not specific to the State, in fact, but which are also found in many other social fields. We can think of religion, sports associations or even the world of work.
“It opened the cane of law, because otherwise, the law is a closed cane, a closed whole which finds its coherence by itself,” believes Pierre Noreau.
“I think that it has had a significant impact, in the long term, on legal training, because it forces us to think with the students: how will this law be applied? he adds. The law, its vocation, is to apply to environments which already exist and which already have a certain number of rules. »
The effects of a law
Guy Rocher also developed the concepts of efficiency and effectiveness of law: once a law is adopted, what are its real effects? “He was interested in the fact that in some cases the standard has a real effect, and in other cases a more symbolic effect. Sometimes it has immediate effects, and sometimes it has delayed effects. And in some cases, it has effects that you didn’t expect. Which are not necessarily bad… But you should know that the behaviors regulated by the law are behaviors held by humans. There are laws that have no effect. »
The professor cites as an example the law which prohibits minors from purchasing tobacco: even if a young person under 18 cannot buy cigarettes in a convenience store, if he wants to smoke, he will not have too much difficulty. to find some.
Change… what next?
His work on the sociology of reforms also led Guy Rocher to observe that the political parties that once advocated progressive change — namely the Parti Québécois and the Liberal Party of Quebec — have transformed into a “force of inertia “.
There is perhaps a form of paradox in the perspective of social change, raises Yan Sénéchal.
“How did actors who were at the heart of social change and who promoted it, once this social change was established, become a force of inertia in relation to this social change? It’s like once they change things, it’s over. »
For many years, Guy Rocher has repeated (along with many others) that Quebec should set up a second Parent commission. But who will want to tackle this monstrous challenge?
“When I see the forces of inertia, I have the impression that, perhaps more than ever, politicians are really in an electoral calendar, that is to say in a thought of more or less four years », concludes Yan Sénéchal.
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