Marion Carrel, Aline Chamahian and Cécile Lavergne (eds.), Experiences of vulnerability during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bringing together philosophical and sociological insights, Presses Universitaires du Septentrion, June 2026, 262 pp. (ISBN-13 978-2-7574-4682-9 – ISSN 17649587)

Summary:

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on society cannot be reduced to mere suffering and trauma; they also offer opportunities for change and solidarity.

In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the humanities and social sciences have mobilised across multiple timeframes to analyse the situation and its effects. In a context where information has become overwhelming, decision-making has grown more complex, and social ties and knowledge have been reshaped, the concept of vulnerability proves particularly fruitful here. To navigate between recognising its universal nature, taking into account its unequal distribution within society, and the moral implications it raises, this collective work adopts a dual philosophical and sociological perspective. It brings together different conceptions of vulnerability, notably those centred on knowledge and epistemic justice, which remain relatively unknown in France. At the same time, a body of empirical research conducted during the pandemic provides detailed insights into how the pandemic has affected family and neighbourhood life, the knowledge mobilised, the gendered division of domestic tasks, and the circumstances of students.

Link to the book

Contents

General introduction. Vulnerabilities in times of pandemic crisis: Cross-disciplinary insights from philosophy and sociology
Marion Carrel, Cécile Lavergne, Aline Chamahian

Part One: Questions regarding vulnerability in the context of the pandemic

Introduction. The significance of theoretical debates on vulnerability 
Cécile Lavergne

Chapter 1 – Vulnerability: the reasons for the lack of understanding
Marie Garrau

Chapter 2 – A sociological perspective on vulnerability.
A discussion between Danilo Martuccelli and students from the University of Lille
Danilo Martuccelli, Vanessa Stettinger

Chapter 3 – Understanding epistemic injustices.
Mapping a field of research 
Interview with the philosopher Amandine Catala
Cécile Lavergne

Chapter 4 – A Vulnerable Concept?
Stéphane Zygart

Part Two: Investigating Vulnerability During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction. The challenge of investigating overlooked vulnerabilities and resources 
Marion Carrel, Aline Chamahian

Chapter 5 – Relationships within households under lockdown: supportive families and situations of vulnerability
Veronika Kushtanina, Virginie Vinel

Chapter 6 – The effects of lockdowns on paid work, domestic work and leisure activities in France: a gender perspective
Marta Pasqualini, Marta Dominguez-Folgueras, Emanuele Ferragina, Olivier Godechot, Ettore Recchi, Mirna Safi

Chapter 7 – Lockdown and the emotional vulnerability of mothers with university degrees: the case of southern European countries 
María Dolores Martín-Lagos López, Miguel Chaves, Philippe Cardon, Marta Donat López, Mónica Luque Suárez

Chapter 8 – «Walking a tightrope». The trajectory of vulnerabilities put to the test by the health crisis 
Cécile Charlap, Adrien Defossez, Lydie Launay

Chapter 9 – Studying from home. Experiences of student vulnerability in the context of health restrictions 
Aline Chamahian

Chapter 10 – The pandemic and resources: how do you cope when you’re in a precarious situation?
An investigation into overlooked resources
Émilie Janin

Chapter 11 – Building the commons in the face of crises: Practices of self-organisation and the reconfiguration of knowledge 
Alice Gatinot

General bibliography
Biographical notes