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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

étude des bifurcations

English translation:

study of turning points

    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2011-09-01 11:54:11 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Aug 29, 2011 10:37
12 yrs ago
French term

étude des bifurcations

French to English Social Sciences Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. Statistics in sociology
Hi,

I am translating a text about "life courses" in a given society. This term came up- I think I understand the meaning (i.e. a study of all the possible outcomes and sequences in a given individual's life). Is there a particular name for this in English?

The context is:

"La perspective du parcours de vie nous permettra d’analyser comment un événement survenu à un âge donné dans la vie d’un individu peut avoir un impact sur son parcours de vie (étude des bifurcations)"

Many thanks
Proposed translations (English)
3 study of turning points

Discussion

Just Opera Aug 30, 2011:
@ liz askew I can't post an answer as I'm not a full member.
liz askew Aug 30, 2011:
Hi, rather than debate this one, why don't you contribute an entry, then people can vote.
Just Opera Aug 30, 2011:
Bifurcation theory? Bearing in mind that the 'study of bifurcations' is more common in a scientific sense but bifurcation is also part of 'systems theory' in sociology.

Also:

Idiosyncratic appropriation of "scientific jargon" crops up often in French sociology texts, e.g. Baudrillard : "redshift", "trou noir".
liz askew Aug 29, 2011:
The trouble is, I was unable to find "bifurcations study" on any sociology site:)
Just Opera Aug 29, 2011:
it is what it is i.e. study of bifurcation. Means to branch off in this context not exactly a turning point.

i.e. how the event has an impact on the persons life and puts them on another path (from the meaning to divide into two classes)
philgoddard Aug 29, 2011:
Does this mean you've rejected the most obvious option, bifurcation study?

Proposed translations

14 mins
Selected

study of turning points

Parcours professionnels et histoires de santé : une analyse sous l ...
- [ Translate this page ]
www.mendeley.com/.../parcours-professionnels-et-histoires-s... - Cached
sociology. It is focused on the concept of « turning point » (or « bifurcation »), applied to the interdependences and interactions between work and health ...

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Note added at 16 mins (2011-08-29 10:53:53 GMT)
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see page 7

or transition

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5hnFaRJP2bgJ:www2....

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Note added at 17 mins (2011-08-29 10:54:45 GMT)
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http://books.google.com/books?id=XEpc8zKHC9oC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA...

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Note added at 19 mins (2011-08-29 10:56:50 GMT)
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Interrogations N°3 : La notion d'identité personnelle en sociologie ...
- [ Translate this page ]
www.revue-interrogations.org/article.php?article=53 - Cached
by H Sébastien - Related articles
Analyse de la construction identitaire à partir du processus d'engagement ... individus au cours de leur cycle de vie correspondent à des moments de bifurcations ... (turning points)(2), particulièrement utile pour identifier les agencements de ... Ce point de vue, relatif à l'étude du processus de « conversion identitaire »(4), ...
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Yes, this seems to sum up what the rest of the passage is saying and I have since seen this term used in other publications. e.g. http://unix.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/faculty/sampson/articles/1993_Crim_Laub.pdf Many thanks!"
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