Singulières archives

Archives, although fundamental to historical research, are rarely appreciated in terms of their place in epistemology. The concept of «archive»-usually given in the singular-has, however, been treated by several philosophers, including most recently Paul Ric?ur. This paper focuses on Ric?ur's latest work,La Mémoire, l'histoire, l'oubli, to analyse Ric?ur's use of the term «archive» and its resonances with the work of Michel Foucault and Michel de Certeau. It investigates, as well, how the concept of archive, closely linked to that of witnessing or testimony, presents certain difficulties from the vantage point of historical epistemology, and proposes another use of the term, one involving greater attention to the historicity and materiality of the «archive» in the interests of a more textual and hermeneutic interpretation.     

Buddhist (Hybrid) Sanskrit Three Articles from a Panel of the XIIth Conference of the International Association of Buddhist Studies

Indo-Iranian Journal -     

Du côté de chez soi: Acquéreurs et vendeurs du Centre belge et de la zone lilloise entre 1880 et 1930

L'approche du crédit hypothécaire par le biais du logement et, plus particulièrement, par celui des caractéristiques des vendeurs et des acquéreurs d'un bien bâti, constitue le coeur de notre problématique. La comparaison de deux zones, àsavoir le Centre belge et la périphérie lilloise, durant la période 1880-1930 permet d'affiner les analyses et d'appréhender non seulement les acteurs (leur appartenance socio-professionnelle, leur pratique de crédit, leur implantation géographique …), mais aussi les modalités mêmes du crédit. Les évolutions se marquent àtous niveaux que cela soit, techniquement, dans un alongement de la durée du prêt, législativement, dans un ensemble de mesures visant à favoriser l'accession populaire à la propriété et sociologiquement, par un partage du marché immobilier considérédésormais par l'ensemble de la population comme un bien àacquérir et àtransmettre. Dès lors, c'est tout un pan de la vie socio-économique de deux communautés que nous permet d'aborder le crédit hypothécaire.     

Geoffroy Heimlich (Ed.): Art Rupestre et Patrimoine Mondial en Afrique Subsaharienne

African Archaeological Review -     

How Do Pre-existing R&D Activities in a Region Influence the Performance of Cluster Initiatives? The Case of French Competitiveness Clusters

This article explores the diversity of 66 French competitiveness clusters, which were all accredited in 2005 according to the same specifications, by characterizing the initial context in which they emerged and taking a close look at the link between this initial context and their current performance. Since French competitiveness cluster policy is based on state co-funding of R&D projects, we establish a typology based on a multiple component analysis and a hierarchical ascending classification of the R&D potential of the cluster's territory, the respective R&D efforts of companies and academic laboratories, the kinds of actors setting up the cluster and their pre-existing relationships. We then measure the differences among the five classes relating to their clusters' capacity to obtain state funding for their projects. Our results show that initial context can partially explain competitiveness clusters' performance. Competitiveness clusters in territories possessing significant R&D resources, and involving large companies capable of organizing projects, are the most efficient in obtaining state funding. In contrast, competitiveness clusters without prior cooperation experience perform poorly.     

After the Nicaraguan Non‐Payment Crisis: Alternatives to Microfinance Narcissism

This article argues against ‘microfinance narcissism’ and calls for a re‐politicization of the microfinance paradigm. The dominant verdict on microcredit has undergone a damning transformation, from ‘magic bullet for poverty reduction’ to ‘cause of suicide’. Nowadays, both radical critics and mainstream voices deplore microcredit's negative impact on micro‐entrepreneurs. They argue for a reorientation where credit is targeted at established small and medium‐sized enterprises, particularly in rural areas. The crisis in microfinance worldwide, including burgeoning protests, are viewed as proof of the commercial derailment and/or misplaced faith in microfinance's positive social and economic impact on the poor. This article engages with this debate through a study of the Nicaraguan micro‐finance crisis. It challenges existing analyses that pin the crisis on agricultural over‐indebtedness, lack of due diligence, or Sandinista populist politics. Illustrating the dangers of neglecting the diverse nature of microfinance, it reveals the paradoxical outcomes of the crisis: a refocus on the urban at the expense of agricultural credit for small and medium enterprises and a consolidation of the power of national processing elites. Nicaragua's Non‐Payment Movement is also shown to be both a product of elite manipulation and an expression of legitimate resistance to an industry that turns a blind eye to the manner in which markets and politics constrain clients’ potential.