Sociologies (May 2019)
Les figures de l’identité
Abstract
« Chelsea (Bradley) Manning » is a public figure of singularity whose identity totals a multiplicity of membership categories, sometimes antagonistic (« man », « woman », « hero », « traitor », « soldier », etc.), as well as the transformation of the first name, face and body, and thus of the person themselves. In this respect, this case invites us to make the assumption that the specific mode of existence of public figures calls for a sociology of the proper name and its circulation in the public media sphere. This article aims to sketch such a sociology. The first part focuses on the different functions (nomination, designation, signification, representation) performed by the proper name. The second part focuses on the public media sphere as a place of production of the meaning of the proper name, and proposes to develop a pragmatic approach to recognition.
