“Cartepostalisation”, “urban sprawl”: journey in unknown language in the world of social sciences

What is a city?

To this question, Lévy and Lussault's dictionary of geography answers: "A geotype of societal substance based on co-presence."

This definition, if it disconcerts the neophytes of the new Vidalian geography, embodies this voluntary complexity adopted by the social sciences in the formulation of their new concepts.

In search of "scientificity", the construction of obscure neologisms has become for geography, history, sociology... an instrument of scientific rigor.

Here are a few words which, bordering on the absurd, perfectly show this evolution.

The success of “-ation” words

To "do science", the first priority is to abandon periphrases.

The suffix "-ation" then offers infinite perspectives for forging a new vocabulary.

Thus, in geography, we no longer say that "cars drive in Paris", we explain that "the capital is a victim of automobilization".

Similarly, the expression "image of Epinal" is abandoned in favor of "postcard".

This fashion for "-ation" words has become a school and today there are a multitude of new concepts such as "barrierization" (reinforcement of borders), "departementalization" (creation of departments), "demaritimization" ( use of land routes for trade) or "instantiation" ("all the formalities envisaged for the passage from one space to another" according to the Glossary of Geoconfluences).

Anglicisms are also fashionable

Some concepts are so obscure that they preclude any hope of understanding by someone outside the scientific community.

This is the case for example of “cryopotism” which means “the attraction for frozen landscapes”.

To make it “modern” and “at the cutting edge of research”, Anglicisms are also on the rise.

Thus the words “urban sprawl” (urban sprawl), “gated communities” (segregated neighborhoods) and “suburbanization” (growth of residential suburbs) are all taken from or inspired by English.

If these terms respond to a need for a more rigorous definition with a view to founding universal disciplines, they nevertheless make access to these fields more difficult for ordinary mortals.