Measure the cost of social welfare.

Summary In the middle of the 19th century, part of the French political and economic elite, inspired by the English model of friendly societies, encouraged mutualists to adopt a "scientific and rational" organization. Taking care of "old workers" led Grenoble mutualists to try to approach the right cost of social welfare. This phenomenon led to an increase in the complexity of mutualist know-how, which resulted in the partial integration of actuarial techniques in certain companies. But during the last two decades of the century, these ambitions came up against cyclical and structural obstacles that were difficult to overcome.