Member

Position
Ph.D. Student

Institution
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

Team
EHGO

E-mail
kimberley_courrier@hotmail.fr

Direction : Olivier Orain

To be a geographer in France, a socio-geography of geographers

Direction : Olivier Orain

Abstract : If many geographers are questionning themselves about the utility, the activity, the place, the perception, the components and even the existence of their professional group, few extensive works bring answers, especially for geographers working outside the academic sphere. This thesis purpose is, therefore, to provide some answers, by drawing a socio-geography of geographers in France, in a diachronic perspective. Used methods, both quantitative and qualitative, will allow to determine the demographic, sociological, economic and geographical characteristics of this professional group and to explain its professionalization process through the prism of practices. Geographers are studied on an individual and collective scale, through an analysis of individual careers and collective strategies. Three main methods are used: individual monitoring of five classes of doctors in geography in France (655 doctors : 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018), a questionnaire distributed nationally to all types of geographers (1000 respondents) and some interviews. The two surveys provided, for the first time, data on the entire professional group of geographers (both within and outside academia) across various themes: gender, salary, sectors of activity, types of employers, occupations held, places of residence and work, assessment of the contributions/lack thereof of geography education, geographer identity and its impact on individual careers, geographers’ perceptions of their professional group (visibility, social recognition, evolution), reference figures (role models), membership in professional associations and their impact, among others. The creation of databases allows for the cross-referencing of these informations, enabling, for example, to study salary differences between male and female geographers.

Publications

• Buat (du), K., Orain, O., “L’Espace géographique: A Privileged Space for Women Geographers?” L’Espace Géographique (forthcoming).
• Buat (du), K., “Engaging and Being Engaged: Geographers Through the Lens of Their Professional and Personal Commitments?” In Chapter in forthcoming edited volume.

Scientific events

Talks in colloquia/conferences and seminars/workshops

Buat (du), K., Szende, N., ” The commitment of geographers through the prism of the sociology of sciences and professions: a comparative study between France and the United Kingdom.” Valenciennes, may 2023. Talk at the Engagement(s) conference, which constitutes the first edition of the CNFG Meetings, May 24-25, 2023, Valenciennes.

Buat (du),K., “Post-thesis : the professional future of geography doctors”. Talk during PhD Students Meeting (Rencontres des doctorant.e.s) about post-thesis perspectives, laboratory Géographie-Cités (27/09/2023), Aubervilliers.

Buat (du), K., « GIS geographers’ place : geospatial data as a major recruitment channel ». Lille,  January 2024. Talk at the “Professionnal world of urban” seminary, first session “Professionnal worlds of geospatial data professionnals”.

Buat (du), K., « Investigation and mirror games: is the self-portrait a methodological dead end?». Le Havre, February 2024. Oral presentation during  multidisciplinary seminar “Breaking the deadlock”

Buat (du), K., « Gender inequalities within geographers ». Chaignes, July 2024. Oral presentation during an event (“Les doctoriales”) of EHGO laboratory Géographie-Cités.

Buat (du), K., “Which career path for women in geography? A quantitative approach on five classes of PhDs in geography in France.”, International Geographical Congress (IGC – UGI), Dublin, Août 2024.

Session organiser

Buat (du), K. (dir), “What’s geographers place in the world ?”, International Geographical Congress (UGI), summer 2024, Dublin.

Teachings

Associate professor, 2020 – today. E. Galois Sartrouville high school : 2020 – 2024 ; P. Langevin Suresnes : 2024 – today

Associate professor, Nanterre University, France. Rural Spaces. 2024.

Erasmus+ project management in E. Galois High School, July 2023 – July 2024

Higher Education : “Khôlles” in CPGE (Lycée Jeanne d’Albret, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Khâgnes), 2020 – 2023. It’s like a Bachelor’s degree.

Jury

Member of the CAPES History-Geography jury (national teacher recruitment competition in France), 2022 – today