Juliette Rennes is carving out a critical space in contemporary French sociology by examining the invisible intersections of gender, age, and professional identity. As a director of studies at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), Rennes operates at the vanguard of political science, focusing on how systemic discrimination shapes the lived experience of workers across different eras.
Based at the Centre d’étude des mouvements sociaux (CEMS), her research moves beyond simple demographics to analyze the structural barriers that define who is allowed to work, where they can work, and how their value is perceived by society. By blending historical analysis with modern sociology, Rennes provides a framework for understanding how “professionalism” has often been used as a tool for exclusion.
Her work is particularly noted for its focus on the “margins” of labor—the street trades, the aging workforce, and the gendered expectations that dictate the trajectory of a career. Through her leadership in both academic research and the publication of comprehensive reference works, Rennes has become a key figure in the study of social movements and professional sociology in France.
Mapping the Gendered Landscape of Labor
A central pillar of Rennes’ contribution to the field is her exploration of how physical space and gender intersect in the workplace. In her 2022 publication, Métiers de rue. Observer le travail et le genre à Paris en 1900, published by Éditions de l’EHESS, she reconstructs the urban labor market of turn-of-the-century Paris.
Rennes argues that the street was not merely a location for commerce but a site of strict social policing. By observing the “street trades” of 1900, she illustrates how gender roles were physically mapped onto the city, determining which tasks were deemed “masculine” or “feminine” and how these designations impacted the economic autonomy of women. This historical lens allows her to draw parallels to modern professional segregations, showing that the gendered nature of work is a historical construct rather than a natural occurrence.
This research emphasizes a recurring theme in her career: the tension between the actual labor performed and the social status assigned to that labor. By documenting the roles of street vendors and laborers, Rennes recovers the history of workers who were often omitted from official archives due to their gender or social standing.
Defining the Framework of Gender Studies
Beyond specific historical case studies, Rennes has sought to systematize the study of gender on a broader scale. In 2021, she directed the Encyclopédie critique du genre. Corps, sexualité, rapports sociaux, published by La Découverte. This work serves as a comprehensive intellectual map, connecting the biological reality of the body with the social constructs of sexuality and power.
The encyclopedia does not treat gender as a static category but as a dynamic set of social relations. By coordinating a wide array of perspectives, Rennes helps define the “critical” approach to gender—one that questions the binary and examines how gender intersects with other forms of stratification, such as class and race.
This systemic approach is essential for her other primary area of expertise: the sociology of age. Rennes examines how ageism functions as a form of discrimination that often overlaps with gender, creating unique vulnerabilities for older women in the professional sphere. Her research indicates that the “devaluation” of a worker is rarely based on a single factor but is instead a compounding effect of age, gender, and perceived social utility.
Core Research Specializations
To understand the scope of Rennes’ academic influence, We see helpful to look at the specific lenses she applies to her research:
- Sociology of Professions: Analyzing how the definition of a “job” changes based on who is performing it.
- Age-Based Discrimination: Investigating the mechanisms of ageism in hiring, retention, and social perception.
- Gender History: Using archival data to track the evolution of women’s roles in the public workforce.
- Political Science: Studying how social movements and policy shifts influence the rights of marginalized workers.
The Impact of Intersectional Analysis
The significance of Rennes’ work lies in its refusal to isolate variables. Even as many sociologists might study “gender” or “age” in a vacuum, Rennes employs an intersectional methodology. This means she looks at how a person’s experience is shaped by the simultaneous impact of multiple identities.
For example, in her study of discrimination, she explores how the “penalty” for being an older worker may differ significantly between men and women. This nuance is critical for policymakers and organizations attempting to create more equitable workplaces, as it reveals that generic “diversity” initiatives often fail to address the specific barriers faced by those at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities.
By rooting her theories in the rigorous academic environment of EHESS and CEMS, Rennes ensures that her findings are not merely theoretical but are grounded in empirical data and historical evidence. This balance of theory and evidence makes her work a vital resource for both scholars and those working in social advocacy.
| Year | Work/Role | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Encyclopédie critique du genre | Systematizing gender, body, and social relations |
| 2022 | Métiers de rue | Gender and labor in 1900s Paris |
| Present | Director of Studies, EHESS | Ageism, discrimination, and professional sociology |
As the academic community continues to grapple with the evolving nature of work—particularly in the wake of global economic shifts and the rise of the gig economy—the frameworks established by Rennes remain highly relevant. Her focus on the “invisible” worker provides a necessary critique of modern labor markets that continue to marginalize based on age and gender.
The next phase of her research is expected to continue integrating these historical insights with contemporary sociological challenges, further refining the understanding of how social movements can dismantle professional discrimination. Updates on her latest findings and upcoming publications are typically shared through the EHESS and CEMS institutional portals.
Do you believe professional identity is still heavily dictated by gender and age in the modern remote-work era? Share your thoughts in the comments or share this article with your colleagues.
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