Abstract
Medical research has revealed an increase in pediatric cancers in many countries. While some suggest that this increase is linked to improved monitoring of children and diagnosis of their state of health, others point to major changes in the living environment, in particular the widespread distribution of toxic contaminants. Drawing on a sociological lecture currently in progress on the controversies surrounding the health effects of pesticides in the United States and France, the presentation will address the social and political issues surrounding these effects. In particular, it will highlight the difficulty of accurately documenting social inequalities in pesticide exposure.
