Savoirs

Savoirs is the French term for knowledge, often used in discussions of what people know and how they come to know it. The word derives from savoir, meaning to know, with the plural form forming when referring to multiple kinds or domains of knowledge. In French, the plural emphasizes the plurality and diversity of knowledge rather than a single, monolithic thing.

In education and pedagogy, les savoirs denotes the content of learning. The concept is commonly contrasted with savoir-faire (know-how) and savoir-être (soft skills or interpersonal comportment). This framing helps distinguish declarative or theoretical knowledge from practical abilities and attitudes. Within curriculum design, designers may differentiate between disciplinaire knowledge (discipline-specific knowledge) and knowledge that is transversale or transversal (cross-cutting skills applicable across subjects). Courses may also reference savoirs scolaires (academic knowledge) alongside savoirs professionnels (professional or vocational knowledge).

In the social sciences, the term is used to describe knowledge as a social product—the kinds of knowledges that are produced, legitimized, and shared within particular communities or institutions. This can include formal, scientific knowledge as well as tacit or local knowledge, such as savoirs situés or savoirs vernaculaires that arise from lived experience. The study of savoirs often intersects with topics of access, power, and education policy, examining who has access to valuable knowledge and how different forms of knowledge are valued or marginalized.

Savoirs thus covers a broad spectrum, from formal academic content to experiential and practical knowledge, while remaining distinct from related concepts like savoir-faire and savoir-être.