Social and Political Sciences

The research activities of the Maison Française d’Oxford unit cover the entire field of social and political sciences. Historically linked to the EHESS and Sciences Po Paris, the MFO maintains close collaborations with major French research institutions in the humanities and social sciences.

Since its creation, it has also been a member of the OxPo program, which has enabled nearly 60 researchers, as well as more than 80 PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows, to stay in Oxford to develop their work. This privileged partnership has led to numerous scientific meetings and joint research projects on major issues such as migration, democracy, Europe, and post-Brexit Britain.

Today, the MFO pursues varied and innovative research in political science, notably on environmental movements, in social sciences, with the ANR program Le Grand Entrepôt dedicated to economic sociology, as well as in urban geography through the Living Cities project, and in the anthropology of life (from norms of living to exobiology).

It also relies on a long-standing tradition of cooperation with the Oxford Faculty of Law, particularly with the IECL, to conduct interdisciplinary work incorporating legal studies (research on the origins of Roman law, legal anthropology, French and European law, legal and ethical debates on contemporary issues).

This dynamism places the MFO at the heart of Franco-British scientific exchanges in the field of social and political sciences.

Law and Society

In 2026, under the supervision of Prof. Soazick Kerneis, the MFO has launched a lecture series on Law and society. Law is inseparable from the major challenges facing contemporary society. This year's programme explored how legal systems respond to evolving social norms, democratic pressures, technological change, and ethical dilemmas.

Key events addressed the transformation of justice through the Pelicot rape trial, the legal and philosophical debates surrounding the end of life, and the growing challenges to the rule of law. Other discussions examined the role of judges under authoritarian regimes, the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of justice, and the limits of legal intervention through the example of witchcraft accusations in sub-Saharan Africa. Together, these events highlighted the enduring role of law in confronting the complexities of contemporary societies.