Pierre-Michel Menger

Pierre-Michel Menger is Professor at the Collège de France (since 2013), Senior Researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Professor (Directeur d'études) at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). He additionally serves as Permanent Visiting Professor at the University of Quebec, Canada, and maintains affiliations with Columbia University's Sociology Department.

His research spans the sociology of labor markets, sociology of art and culture, meritocracy, economic sociology, and academic careers. Menger pioneered interdisciplinary approaches bridging sociological and economic perspectives, particularly examining how risk-taking behavior, intrinsic motivation, and extreme flexibility characterize careers in creative industries. His work identifies 'unbalanced growth schemes' where work availability increases far less rapidly than the pool of intermittent workers, generating growing competition. More recently, he has examined academic labor markets facing international competition in the race for excellence and rankings.

• Silver Medal of CNRS (1999)
• Fellow at Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (2006-2007)
• Holder of the Claudel Chair (2010)
• Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (1994)
• Laureat du concours general de philosophie (2nd prize, 1971)
• Fellow at Fondation Thiers (1978-1981)

Menger has held progressive research positions at CNRS since 1978, advancing from Attaché de recherche to Directeur de recherche. At EHESS, he served as Chargé de conférences (1985-1991) and later as Directeur d'études. He has also taught at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. His editorial responsibilities include positions on the committees of Revue française de Sociologie, Revue Economique, and Poetics, reflecting his broad scholarly impact across sociology, economics, and cultural studies.