Sociologist, Pierre François uses the tools of economic sociology to account for the transformations of contemporary capitalism, and in particular its dynamics of financialization. He works more specifically on big French companies and their managers. He co-directs the PARI Chair which analyzes the transformations of the European insurance world. 
Part of his work also continues to focus on the sociology of art.

The CV of Pierre François (PDF- 145 Ko)

OTHER ACTIVITIES 

• Dean of the Sciences Po Research School (2017-2024)
• Co-director of “Governance” collection at Sciences Po Press
• Director of the Sociology Department at Sciences Po (2014 - 2017)
• Head of undergraduate studies in Sociology at Sciences Po (2011 - 2014)

Professional Background

• Director of research at the CNRS (2010 - present)
• Research fellow at the CNRS (2001 - 2010)
• Professor at the École Polytechnique (2009 - 2017)
• Project manager at the Commissariat Général du Plan [Plan Commission] (2000 - 2001)
• Professor of Economic and Social Sciences at Lycée, Académie de Paris and Créteil (1998 - 2001)
• Project manager at the Opéra National de Paris (1997 - 1998)

EDUCATION

2008
Habilitation (professorial thesis) in Sociology, Paris-Sorbonne University

2000
PhD in Sociology, EHESS - Paris

1996
Agrégation in Social Sciences

1993-1997
Bachelor’s degree, École Normale Supérieure - Cachan

1994
Degree, Political Studies Institute (IEP) - Paris

Since 2002 – Sciences Po: General sociology ; Economic sociology ; Social theory;   
2009-2017 – Ecole Polytechnique: General sociology; Sociology of capitalism;  
2003-2006 – Ecole normale supérieure: Sociology of networks;  
2001-2010 – EHESS Paris: Economic sociology ;

Since 2011 – co-head (with P. Le Galès) of the collection « Gouvernance » of the Presses de Sciences Po. 
Depuis 2001 – Reviewer for peer-review journals (Sociologie, Revue française de socio-économie, Histoire et mesure, Politique africaine, Organization studies, Strategic management journal, Canadian journal of sociology, Socio-economic review, Poetics, American review of sociology, American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology). 

• 2025, "The old regime (of mutualization) and the revolution (of big data)", British journal of sociology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.13205 – 1st published 15 March 2025. 
• 2021, "Introducing Aesthetics Into Status Analysis: The Case of French Contemporary Poetry", American behavioral scientist, vol. 65 (1), p. 44-58 (avec S. Dubois).
• 2021, Sociologie historique du capitalisme, Paris, La découverte, 432 p. (avec C. Lemercier). https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03222371v1
• 2021, Financiariser l’assurance. Enquête sur Solvabilité II, Paris, Presses de Sciences Po, 355 p. (avec la participation de S. Frezal). https://hal-sciencespo.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03248472

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