Cette recherche s’intéresse aux impacts sociopolitiques des gazoducs et des oléoducsmis en oeuvre depuis 1991 au Caucase du Sud. S’appuyant sur un cadre théoriquemêlant principalement sociologie de l’Acteur-Réseau, sociologie éliasienne etapproches managériales, elle postule que la construction d’un système complexe detransport de pétrole et de gaz azerbaïdjanais est révélatrice de l’évolution de laconfiguration sud-caucasienne. Cette thèse étudie tout d’abord les interactions qui senouent autour de la mise en oeuvre des voies d’exportation des hydrocarburesazerbaïdjanais. Elle met en lumière l’émergence de nouvelles formes de régulation, dontla plupart profite à la compagnie pétrolière BP. Elle démontre ensuite comment lesréseaux sociotechniques construits autour de ces nouvelles voies participent d’uneévolution de la configuration sud-caucasienne. Ces réseaux débordent du cadrepurement économique pour aboutir au développement de la régionalisation entrel’Azerbaïdjan, la Géorgie et la Turquie. Cette recherche souligne enfin les gains queretire l’Etat-entreprise azerbaïdjanais de cette régionalisation fondée sur leshydrocarbures. Bakou se sert de ces derniers pour étendre son influence économique etpolitique au sein de la configuration sud-caucasienne. La sociologie de l’Acteur-Réseaunous permet donc de souligner le rôle non seulement économique mais égalementpolitique des hydrocarbures dans la montée en puissance de l’Azerbaïdjan qui, d’Etat enfaillite, est devenu puissance régionale. / This dissertation looks at the socio-political impacts of the pipelines that have beenimplemented in the South Caucasus since 1991. It is based on a theoreticalframework mixing Actor-Network Theory, Norbert Elias’s sociology andmanagement approaches. It assumes that the construction of an Azerbaijanihydrocarbons transportation complex system sheds light into the evolution of theSouth Caucasian configuration. First, this research studies interactions that emergeLUSSAC Samuel | Science Politique | Doctorat | 201114around the implementation of export routes for Azerbaijani oil and gas resources.It highlights the development of new forms of governance, which mostly benefit tothe oil company BP. Second, this dissertation demonstrates that the sociotechnicalnetworks built around these new export routes contribute to the evolution of theSouth Caucasian configuration. These networks overflow the economic sphere tofoster regionalization between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. Third, thisresearch underlines the benefits the Azerbaijani ‘state-company’ retrieves fromthis hydrocarbons-based regionalization. Baku takes advantage of oil and gasresources to increase its economic and political influence within the SouthCaucasian configuration. Therefore, the Actor-Network Theory helps to shed lightinto the economic and political role of hydrocarbons in the rise of Azerbaijan.From a failed state, this country has now established itself as a regional power.

This thesis explores how energy and environmental issues have been presented in the transportation sector over time in World Energy Outlook (WEO) publications; the flagship publication of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The thesis covers WEO publications from the first publication of 1977 up to 2016 (with the exception of WEO 1982). The data was extracted through the aid of interpretive content analysis, focusing on the transport sector. Energy and Environmental issues within the context of transportation were then discussed as to their roles and forms of action they were ascribed throughout the publications. Actor-network theory was used as a theoretical framework to map and showcase how these roles and actions conditioned and connected to each other. The results of the study show that energy has had a tendency to be divided into the camps of fuels that are either solutions or problems. The exceptions are biofuels, which stand out as fuels that are both solutions and problematic. The environmental issues are solved and caused through energy use, and in 1977,environmental consideration were presented as obstacles to energy security. In 1993 global warming and emissions have changed into being major policy concern. Pollution, congestion, dust, noise, and related health issues are added to the fray as time proceeds, and so are more forms of energy for solutions. Goals and interests showcased in the publications are shown to conflict with others, while energy efficiency as a solution has emerged as a solution to both global warming and energy security. The transport sector starts of as framed more asan area or space where environmental issues take place and solutions are implemented,however, increasing motorisation of the sector and traffic and its role as amajor emitter are later added as active aspects of the conditioning of thesector and in offsetting the solutions. Regional cases are used to exemplify the issues and solutions, with a major focus on OECD contexts, and technological renewal emerges early on as a mayor pathway in solving the environmental issues, through the support of consumers. However, the major issues still remain the same as in 1993.

Ce travail aborde la question du rôle des communautés virtuelles d'intérêt dans la communication et la co-création de valeur pour les énergies renouvelables en tant qu'innovation. Malgré la multiplicité et diversité des études portant sur les communautés virtuelles, la connaissance, à la fois théorique et pratique, de la manière avec laquelle les membres de ces communautés virtuelles communiquent et co-créent de la valeur pour les innovations demeure limitée. Deux champs théoriques complémentaires ont été mobilisés, la théorie de l'acteur-réseau et la théorie du Lead user, afin de mieux comprendre comment s'effectue cette communication et co-création de valeur pour les énergies renouvelables au sein des « réseaux des communautés virtuelles » et d’élaborer un cadre d'analyse et conceptuel appropriés. Pour ce faire, trois études ont été menées. Une première étude documentaire a été réalisée pour identifier et recenser les diverses parties prenantes dans la communication et la gestion de valeurs co-créées au sein des réseaux de communautés virtuelles d'intérêt pour les énergies renouvelables. Une seconde étude à été menée sur la base de trois « réseaux des communautés virtuelles d'intérêt pour les énergies renouvelables » dans le but de montrer comment les membres-actants de ces réseaux communiquent et co-créent de la valeur pour cette innovation. Une dernière étude a été réalisée sur la base de 28 entretiens semi-directifs afin de montrer comment les diverses parties prenantes communiquent et gèrent les divers types de valeurs co-créés au sein de ces réseaux. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de conceptualiser deux processus. Un premier processus a été mis en oeuvre afin de montrer comment les membres-actants des communautés virtuelles communiquent et co-créent de la valeur au sein de ces réseaux : le « processus en ligne de communication et de co-création de valeur pour les innovations centré sur l’utilisateur ». Un second processus a été conceptualisé dans le but de mettre en oeuvre la stratégie de communication et de gestion de valeurs cocréées via ces réseaux: le « processus stratégique de communication et de gestion de valeurs co-créées pour les innovations au sein des réseaux des communautés virtuelles ». Par ailleurs,l'implication mutuelle et l'intégration des divers acteurs/actants au sein des réseaux de communautés virtuelles (à savoir les utilisateurs, le réseau en tant qu'actant, les contributions, les valeurs co-créées, ainsi que les community managers) permettent de communiquer, de diffuser, de co-créer collectivement et de redéfinir l'innovation en tant que résultat d'un système d'interactions sociotechniques, favorisant la stabilisation de cette innovation et sa mise en boîte noire. / This work addresses the issue of the role of virtual communities of interest in the communication and the co-creation of value for renewables as an innovation. Despite the multiplicity and diversity of studies based on virtual communities, both theoretical and practical knowledge of how members of these virtual communities communicate and co-create value for innovation remains limited. In order to better understand the way of communicating, value co-creating and building an approriate analytical and conceptual framework, two complementary theoretical fields were mobilized : the actor-network theory and the lead user theory. Three studies were conducted. A primary study was conducted to identify the various stakeholders in the communication and the management of co-created value within virtual communities’networks of interest in renewables. A second study was conducted on the basis of three « networks of virtual communities of interest in renewable energies » in order to highlight how members of these networks communicate and co-create values for this innovation. A final study based on 28 interviews was conducted to understand how the various stakeholders communicate and manage diverse types of co-created values within virtual communities’networks related to renewables. Results enable to conceptualize two diverse processes. A first process was implemented to show how members of virtual communities communicate and co-create value within virtual communities’networks of interest in renewable energies: the « online user centred co-creation of value and communication of innovation process ». A second process was established in order to implement the strategy of communication and management of co-created value through virtual communities’networks of interest in innovation: the « strategic process of communication and co-creation of value to innovation management within virtual communities’networks ». Moreover, mutual involvement and integration of various actors within virtual communities’networks (such as : users, networks, contributions, co-created values and community managers) enable to communicate, to diffuse, to co-create collectively,to redefine the innovation as a result of a socio-technical system and to foster the «stabilization» of this innovation.

Mittels einer Untersuchung von standardisierten Praktiken (Stadtrundgängen und Stadtrundfahrten) und Dispositiven (Stadtkarten, Reiseführer) fürs „Touren“ von Städten zeigt diese Dissertation, (1) wie die Stadt Berlin in ein virtuelles Objekt, nämlich, einen touristischen Zielort, transformiert wird, ( 2) wie diese Transformation nicht nur durch die Bewegung von Touristen im Raum und das Unterwegssein ermöglicht wird, sondern durch touristische Kommunikation über die Stadt, und (3) wie diese emergente touristische Stadt in einer multiplen und polykontexturalen städtischen Öffentlichkeit eingebettet ist, wo sie in verschiedenen Typen von Beziehung mit naheliegenden Inszenierungen der Stadt eintritt, wie die der Stadt-Marketing und der kollektiven Erinnerungspolitik. Drei weitere Aspekte sind zu erwähnen, die den gesamten Text subtil anregen. Die Dissertation stellt eine neue Theorie des Tourismus als Kommunikationsform, und nicht als Form des Reisens, auf; sie integriert die Luhmannsche Kommunikationstheorie mit der Akteur-Netzwerk-Theorie, und sie ist durchaus empirisch, basierend auf einer jahrlangen ethnographischen Untersuchung (2005-2006) von Praktiken und Dispositiven des „Tourens“ im zeitgenössischen Berlin. / Through the study of standardized practices (walking tours, bus-tours) and devices (maps, guidebooks) for touring cities, this dissertation shows (1) how the city of Berlin is transformed into a virtual object, namely, an urban destination, (2) how such transformation is enabled not simply by tourist movement in space and being away from ‚home‘, but by tourist communication on the city, and (3) how this emergent tourist city is embedded in a multiple and polycontextural urban public sphere, in which it enters into different types of relationship with neighbouring enactments of the city, such as those of city-marketing and collective memory. Subtly informing the whole text there are three aspects to be mentioned: the dissertation proposes a new theory of tourism as a form of communication, not of travel; it integrates Luhmann’s communication theory with actor-network theory; and it is throughout empirical, based on a year-long ethnographic study (2005-2006) of touring practices and devices in contemporary Berlin.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:31:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Juliana Aparecida de Oliveira Camilo.pdf: 2361347 bytes, checksum: 8b9d66056b95927802e94842deb20149 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-01 / The purpose of this research was to identify the versions of MMA athletes who circulated in spaces where this mode is performaned. Our guiding athletes were considered professionals in the sport, linked to national and international events. In order to do so, we elected two MMA gyms located in the city of São Paulo where we lived during 2014. To support this research, we adopted a theoretical and methodological approach to the actor-network theory in dialogue with the Social Psychology. The methodology followed the assumptions of ethnography, with interactions in different practices in which athletes were involved: training, group meetings, various procedures for weight loss, activity on the day of the fight and subsequent conversations with the struggle. The descriptions of the two researched academies suggested that in one of them (gym B), an athlete deserve protection, support and care, and performing as an employee and in the second (gym A), as an idol, having importance while offering the opportunity to act in such way in different situations. Whereas at the camp, we accompanied a gym B fighter, it was possible to identify the fighter versions: a) worker who is precarious (training); b) idol (week of fighting); c) survivor (weighing); d) "tough guy" (day of the fight) and; e) "human" (post-fight). The thesis is that there is a specific type of fighter, or different perspectives on it, but it's multiple. These athletes are made in different practices, yet somehow related to each other. The complexity presented here opens up the possibility of other modes of operation, less essentialits human fighting MMA, claiming the weakening totalizing versions, exploring only one version of these fighters / O objetivo desta pesquisa foi identificar as versões de atletas de MMA que circularam em espaços onde esta modalidade é performanda. Nosso fio condutor foram os atletas, considerados profissionais na modalidade, vinculados a eventos nacionais e internacionais. Para isso, elegemos duas academias de MMA localizadas na cidade de São Paulo, na qual convivi durante o ano de 2014. Para sustentar esta pesquisa, adotei uma aproximação teórico-metodológica com a teoria ator-rede, em diálogo com a Psicologia Social. A metodologia seguiu os pressupostos da etnografia, com interações nas diferentes práticas em que os atletas se envolviam: treinamentos, reuniões de grupo, procedimentos diversos para perder peso, atividades no dia da luta e conversas posteriores às lutas. As descrições das duas academias pesquisadas sugeriram que, em uma delas (Academia B), um atleta merecia proteção, apoio e cuidados, performado como trabalhador e, na segunda (Academia A), como ídolo, tendo importância enquanto oferecia a possibilidade de apresentar-se desse modo em diferentes situações. Já nas fases de um camp, acompanhei um lutador da Academia B, em que foi possível identificar as versões de lutador como: a) trabalhador que é precarizado (treinamentos); b) ídolo (semana da luta); c) sobrevivente (pesagem); d) casca-grossa (dia da luta); e e) humano (pós-luta). A tese é que não há um tipo específico de lutador, ou perspectivas diferentes sobre ele, mas sim, que ele é múltiplo. Esses atletas são feitos em diferentes práticas, ainda que de algum modo relacionados entre si. A complexidade aqui apresentada nos abre a possibilidade de outros modos de atuação, menos essencializadores, dos humanos que lutam MMA, pleiteando o enfraquecimento de versões totalizadoras, que exploram apenas um modo de ser desses atletas

[pt] O presente trabalho busca contribuir para o avanço do conhecimento na área de Estudos Organizacionais por meio da análise da constituição da organização Memorial da Resistência de São Paulo (MRSP) dentro do paradigma construtivista social com o emprego da lente relacional e crítica proposta pela abordagem ANTi- History. Ao assumir a organização como um verbo, um fenômeno emergente, inacabado e em constante transformação e não mais como um substantivo estático, representável, coerente, neutro e discreto, de acordo com os preceitos do Organizing, foi possível trazer à tona as negociações e manobras dos diferentes atores envolvidos, bem como a contribuição de cada um deles para a constituição do MRSP por meio da ANTI-History. Dessa forma, foi possível ressaltar e tornar transparentes as relações sócio-políticas e de poder subjacentes à constituição do MRSP, assim como o processo contínuo de (re) configuração e ressignificação do espaço enquanto um lugar de memória de resistência, acentuando a importância de se investigar intencionalidades associadas ao que foi resgatado e das interpretações do passado de acordo com agendas e interesses de determinados atores. A análise e a triangulação de diversas fontes, associadas à postura reflexiva e crítica exigida pela ANTi-History, permitiram identificar, resgatar e demonstrar as ações e implicações de uma multiplicidade de atores, promovendo uma contextualização mais profunda e detalhada da análise do fenômeno ao remover o véu de aparente simplicidade da organização e, por fim, revelando possíveis apagamentos e silenciamentos de memórias. / [en] The present study seeks to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the area of Organizational Studies through the analysis of the constitution of the Memorial São Paulo (MRSP) within the social constructivist paradigm from a relational and critical perspective proposed by the ANTi-History approach. By assuming the organization as a verb, an emerging phenomenon, unfinished and in constant transformation and no longer as a noun static, representative, coherent, neutral and discreet, in accordance with the Organizing precepts, one can bring to light the negotiations and maneuvers employed by the different actors involved, as well as contribution of each of these to the constitution of the MRSP. Thus, highlighting and giving transparency to the socio-political and power relations that are subjacent to the constitution of an organisations such as the MRSP, as well as the on-going process of (re) configuration and resignification of the space as a place of memory dedicated to resistance, only increase the importance of looking more closely at the intentionalities associated with that which was recovered and the interpretations of the past according to the agendas and interests of certain actors. The analysis and the triangulation of several sources, associated with the reflexive and critical posture required by an ANTi-History researcher, allowed to identify, recoup and demonstrate the actions and implications of a multiplicity of actors, promoting a deeper and more detailed contextualization of the analysis by removing the veil of apparent simplicity of the organization and, finally, revealing possible cases of effacement and silencing.

L'objectif principal de la thèse est de comprendre comment se construit la politique sportive d'une fédération sportive nationale. Le cas de la Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) est étudié sous la forme d'une Recherche-Intervention, cette organisation ayant souhaité engager des réflexions autour de sa politique sportive, un objet qu'il a fallu appréhender et conceptualiser dans le cadre d'une fédération nationale. Cet objet est envisagé comme un processus de co-construction, entre des acteurs fédéraux (siège) et territoriaux (structures décentralisées et déconcentrées). Pour étudier ce processus et notamment les logiques d'acteurs, nous avons mobilisé la théorie de la traduction (Akrich et al., 2006), associée au concept de rapport de prescription (Oiry, 2012). La théorie de la traduction évoque la notion d'actants, pour désigner ces acteurs et prendre en considération des éléments de l'organisation dits « non-humains » (actants non-humains), qui ont aussi une influence et un impact sur ce processus. Notre problématique centrale est ainsi formulée comme suit : quelles sont les dynamiques actantielles à l'oeuvre dans la co-construction d'une politique sportive fédérale ? L'idée générale, au travers de notre cadre d'analyse, est d'exprimer comment ces acteurs, par le biais de leurs visions et de leurs perceptions (leurs traductions) et leurs collaborations/confrontations (leurs rapports de prescription), vont coconstruire la politique sportive fédérale en question. Cette thèse ambitionne d'appréhender à la fois l'intégration de cette politique dans l'organisation fédérale, et la formation d'un réseau d'acteurs qui, parallèlement, se configure et se stabilise. / The main purpose of this thesis is to understand how a national association sport policy is elaborated. The case of the French Rugby Union (FFR) is studied as part of an intervention-research, as this organisation initiated some reflections around its sport policy, an object that we had both to apprehend and conceptualise. This object is considered as a co-construction process, between national and regional actors. In order to study this, we mobilise the Actor-Network Theory (Akrich et al., 2006), associated with the concept of prescriptive relation (Oiry, 2012). The Actor-Network Theory (also known as the sociology of translation) highlights the presence of both human and non-human actors which can have an impact on this process. In this way, our research question is: what are the actors' dynamics during the co-construction process of the federal sport policy? The general idea, throughout our framework, is to express how the (human) actors, thanks to their representations (their translation) and their collaboration / confrontation (their prescriptive relation) are going to co-construct the federal sport policy. The aim of this thesis is to apprehend both the integration of this sport policy into the federal organisation (the FFR) and the creation of an actor-network, which, simultaneously, is configuring and stabilising itself.

Does our cultural background colour our perception of nature? And if so, can it be seen when asked about early childhood memories? These were some of the starting questions I was pondering over after a walk in the forest with 5 women from different continents. Even if we were about same age, it was quite clear that what we saw and how we perceived the surroundings differed. At this time, I got a book written by Bruno Latour and as his thought was intriguing, I wanted to test my understanding of his actor-network theory and search for traits that could explain the difference in our perception by following his advice. This was not as easy as it seemed. My material is based on interviews with three women in their 60´s and early 70´s done during October 2018. They told about their early childhood memory of nature. I used this material to follow the connections back in time and between actors of importance in their environs. I could also find trails that followed them until this day. I have also discussed different aspects of the use of narrative as a tool to make the reality understandable for the individual. How interpretation evolves during life to maintain the importance of one’s life in time and space. Words have the ability to imbed events in a bigger narrative and in that way let things be remembered for the future. How we react to events do depend on both cultural and biological factors and our interpretation of the situation is something that may have duration during our whole life. A tiny thing such as a blueberry can have a huge importance as one of the women told me. I found that a simple question revealed an astonishing amount of information that could be tracked down in time. Cultural tradition could be seen, and trails of family history were observable. Also, nature preferences turned out to have been established early. All three talked about the importance of their type of nature throughout their life, but what they preferred differed. What one of the women found preferable was totally indifferent for one of the others and the source was to be found in these important childhood memories. I have used research from several scientific disciplines and authors as Latour, Bell, Ellen, Frykman, Daun, Saltzman, Ulrich, Kaplan and others. The point of departure is ethnology, but other areas are visited during this study due to the fact that, as I argue, everything is connected, following Bruno Latour in his actor-network theory.

Le financement basé sur la performance est une approche gestionnaire promue par la Banque Mondiale (BM) et United States Agency for International Development (USAID), qui connaît une rapide diffusion dans les programmes d’aide au développement. Dans un contexte où de nombreux travaux ont démontré la subjectivité du lien entre la lutte contre la pauvreté et les « bonnes politiques » recommandées par la BM dans le cadre de l’allocation basée sur la performance (ou sélectivité), il apparaît pertinent de s’interroger sur la performativité de ce nouvel instrument. En mobilisant conjointement la théorie de l’acteur-réseau et les théories néo-institutionnelles,cette thèse analyse, au niveau global puis dans un cadre national, le processus de conception, d’expérimentation, de diffusion et de mise en œuvre de l’instrument dans le domaine de la réforme des systèmes de santé. Au niveau global, nous étudions la conceptualisation de l’instrument, que nous replaçons dans une généalogie de la performation, par le réseau néolibéral, des politiques d’aide au développement et de santé globale. Nous analysons ensuite son expérimentation au Rwanda,dans le cadre d’un dispositif de régulation par le marché des systèmes de santé mis en œuvre à travers : (I) la mise en place d’une tarification à l’activité visant à transformer les structures de santé en acteurs économiques autonomes (volet offre), et (II) la création de mutuelles privées communautaires à même de développer des stratégies d’achats (volet demande). Nous étudions enfin sa diffusion institutionnelle sous l’effet (i) d’une valorisation de l’expérimentation rwandaise sans prise en compte de son contexte spécifique, et (II) d’un dispositif incitatif permettant l’enrôlement des responsables de la BM et des ministères bénéficiaires. Au niveau national, nous étudions la stratégie d’influence de la BM et de l’USAID en faveur de la diffusion de ces réformes au Sénégal. Nous présentons le processus d’adoption de ces réformes par le Ministère de la santé, la mise en échec d’un modèle de régulation concurrent en voie d’expérimentation par la coopération technique belge, puis les pressions exercées parla BM pour contraindre le gouvernement à internaliser le modèle promu. Nous mettons ensuite en perspective l’abandon du modèle de régulation par le marché qui était initialement affiché,au profit d’une nouvelle régulation transnationale, matérialisée par un contrat de financement basé sur l’activité directement contrôlé par la BM. / Performance-based financing is a management approach promoted by the World Bank (WB) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that is rapidly being mainstreamed in development assistance programs. In a context where many studies have demonstrated the subjectivity of the link between the fight against poverty and the "good policies" recommended by the WB in the context of performance-based allocation (or selectivity), it seems relevant to question the performativity of this new instrument. Drawing jointly on actor-network theory and neo-institutional theories, we analyze the process of designing, experimenting, disseminating and implementing the instrument in the field of health policy reforms at the global level and then at the national level.At the global level, we study the conceptualization of the instrument, which we place in agenealogy of the neoliberal network's performance of development aid and global healthcarepolicies. We then analyze its experimentation in Rwanda, as part of a market-based regulationfor healthcare systems implemented through: (I) the deployment of activity-based payments to transform healthcare structures into autonomous economic actors (on the supply side), and (II) the creation of private community-based insurance structures designed to develop purchasing strategies (on the demand side). Finally, we study the instrument’s institutional diffusion under the effects of (I) a promotion of the Rwandan experiment decontextualized from the country’sspecific political situation, and (II) an incentive mechanism allowing the enrolment of both WB’sofficials and the ministries that are benefitting from the WB’s aid. At the national level, we have studied the influence strategy of a coalition of actors composedof the WB and USAID to promote the dissemination of these reforms in Senegal. We present the process of adoption of the reforms by the Ministry of Health, the failure of a competing regulatory model that was being tested by Belgian technical cooperation, and then the pressure exerted by the WB to coerce the government into internalizing the promoted model.We then put into perspective the abandonment of the market-based regulatory model that was initially announced, in favor of a new transnational regulation, materialized by activity-basedfinancing contracts that are directly controlled by the WB.

Contemporary scholars seeking to increase Tuber Melanosporum truffle production rely almost exclusively on technological advancements to increase yields, while failing to place the cultivation of truffles, trufficulture, in its historical or local landscape contexts. In this dissertation, I describe how truffle scholars’ conceptualization of trufficulture and landscapes has changed over 150 years in France, while focusing on the French département of Lot. I examine changing relations between humans and nonhumans and how they impact truffle harvests. I analyzed the history of French trufficulture through a close reading of historic truffle manuals, archival research and the classification of remotely sensed images. Shifting from the past to the present, from July 2014-August 2016, I conducted semi-structured survey interviews with working truffle-growers (trufficulteurs) and participant observation at meetings of trufficulteurs, truffle hunts and truffle markets. I utilize actor-network theory (ANT) as both a theory and methodology. Actor-network theory allowed me to follow the impacts made by both humans and nonhumans on trufficulture. I found that truffle harvests in the 1880s dropped by 90%. Highly populated, intensively worked landscapes of viticulture, silvopastoralism and cereal cultivation created conditions suitable to truffles. By the 1870s the phylloxera aphid ravaged grapevines, which made trufficulture an important source of revenue. These advantageous conditions would not last. Post-WWI, yields fell for decades because of an ongoing rural population exodus and consequent agricultural abandonment, which promoted reforestation and closed canopy forests in Lot, France. By the 1960s, French trufficulteurs organized associations to share knowledge and promote local truffle markets to revive production. Trufficulteurs’ utilization of tractors, ‘inoculated’ plants and irrigation systems produced a new form of “modern” trufficulture. State subsidies helped trufficulteurs adopt “modern” practices, in hopes of increasing yields. “Modern” trufficulture has not dramatically increased yields. A few highly-capitalized trufficulteurs dominate production in Lot. Many others practice trufficulture as a hobby. Instead of relying on “modern” technological fixes, my findings suggest that trufficulteurs, farmers and states should reinvigorate extensive polyculture farming practices that maintain open canopy forests, which were beneficial to trufficulture in the past. Actor-network theory allowed me to rethink human and nonhuman relations, and to propose alternatives to “modern” trufficulture.