Philippe Steiner. Faire la Fête. Sociologie de la joie

Abstract

This review presents the book Faire la Fête - Sociologie de la joie by Philippe Steiner. In it, the author presents his research on traditional street festivals that take place in the city of Bayonne, in the Basque region, in Southwest France. The French sociologist shows that throwing a party means participating in popular effervescence, but also organizing it. For the party to happen, it is necessary to prepare it, receive the invited crowd, and manage the crowd during its stay in the time and space of the party. Thus, the meaning of the party can be experienced through the mood of the crowd. In this work, which links economy and culture, Steiner explores the world of festive events and invites sociology to return to joy as an object.