Michel Rautenberg

Michel Rautenberg is a Professor of Sociology at Jean Monnet University in Saint-Étienne, France, where he also served as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences from 2015 to 2020. He is a researcher at the Centre Max Weber (CNRS UMR 5283) and a member of the Labex IMU (Intelligence of Urban Worlds). He has held leadership roles including Vice-President for Research at his university and has directed major research programs on urban imaginaries and heritage transformation.

• PhD in Anthropology from EHESS (1990)
• Habilitation from Lyon 2 (1999)
• Professor of Ethnology at Lille 1 University (1999–2006)
• Expert for ANR, JPI, and international journals

His research focuses on cultural and industrial heritage, collective memory, social imaginaries, and urban transformation. He has conducted fieldwork in France, Bulgaria, Wales, and collaborates with the University of São Paulo on urban imaginaries. His work emphasizes post-industrial landscapes, identity, and critical heritage studies. He has directed publications in journals such as Urbanities and Cahiers de la recherche architecturale, and is a founding member of the International Urban Symposium.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a sustained engagement with urban heritage, the social construction of memory, and the cultural politics of post-industrial transformation. Keywords across these works include urban studies, cultural heritage, and sociology, with recurring subfields such as urban identity, heritage conservation, and post-industrial landscapes. His research demonstrates a transnational and interdisciplinary approach, bridging anthropology, sociology, and urban planning.

• Prix du livre du Conseil Général du Rhône (1997)
• Member of editorial boards: Urbanities, Cahiers de la recherche architecturale
• Director, Sociologies-Matières à penser book series (2010–2019)
• President, Scientific Council of GIS IPAPIC (2012–2015)

Rautenberg has supervised numerous research projects and special journal issues on heritage and urban identity. He has been actively involved in academic governance and peer review, contributing to funding agencies and publishers. He currently collaborates with institutions in Brazil and serves on the board of the Centre culturel de rencontres de Goutelas (since 2019). His work integrates theoretical depth with community-based and policy-relevant research.

He is affiliated with the Centre Max Weber and has led collaborative research initiatives involving architecture, urban planning, and cultural policy. His international symposia and editorial roles demonstrate a strong commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge dissemination in the field of critical heritage and urban studies.