Social Matter

Michel Grossetti is Research Director in the French National Research Center (CNRS) and School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS). He studied mathematics and sociology. Michel Grossetti has conducted research into social networks, innovation, spatial dynamics, social science methodology and sociological theory. He has published or directed twelve books and more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals (including Social Networks, Revue Française de Sociologie, European Planning Studies, Built Environment, Urban Studies, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research). An important feature of his work is its strong involvement in multidisciplinary collaborations with historians, geographers, economists, and sometimes as chemists or phonetic experts. In addition to his books or articles in sociology, he has published, alone or jointly, numerous articles in economics or geographical journals, and contributions to collective books in history.

• Acknowledgments.- Preamble.- Chapter 1. In search of a robust ontology.- Chapter 2. Entities.- Chapter 3. Activities and processes.- Chapter 4. Relations.- Chapter 5. Compound forms: collectives, spheres of activity, institutions, networks.- Chapter 6. Diversity of collectives.- Chapter 7. Generality, causalities, mechanisms.- Chapter 8. The emergence of collectives and spheres of activity.- Chapter 9. Space, time, societies.- Chapter 10. Social Matter Matters.- Index.