Divergences or complementarity within the research into crises in France?

International audienceThis paper provides a panorama of French research on crises and asks if the different approaches currently employed are divergent or complementary. The first approach centres on crises related to major risks; the post-accidental crises appear to emanate from the 'outside'. The second approach emphasises that in the time of 'new risks', crises analysis must be formulated by starting from the social processes which transform certain social conditions into crises. The crises now appear to emerge from the 'interior', the 'inside'. The question is to know if these two current approaches of research can be connected today and enrich each other or if they will continue to remain separated