UE 3
Alexander Thompson
Longwood University
SOCL -401-01-Sociological Theory
Dr. Grether
December 1st, 2023
Summary:
I received a 42 out of 50 points on this assignment. I did not change anything. However, a comment was left on my first sentence saying where this information came from. I composed this sentence by using what I read from supplemental readings, class PowerPoint, and the textbook.
The major concerns of Pierre Bourdieu included questions such as why social inequalities reproduce over time, how the retention of wealth occurs, and why the lower classes accept the prestige and power of elites. According to Edles, L.D., & Appelrouth, S. (2010) Pierre Bourdieu was motivated by several different factors that included social reproduction, fields, habitus, and taste. According to Coser (2006, p. 173), “The problem that Bourdieu is left with is the relationship between the individual and society”. Pierre Bourdieu was concerned with how education is involved in the reproduction of social inequalities. Pierre argued that the education system prioritizes and shows off already existing social hierarchies by favoring them based on what aligns with society’s norms. Pierre Bourdieu’s understanding that prestige and power can be understood by the lower classes by looking at it through habitus. Pierre Bourdieu wants to liberate social actors and show that society can be organized in a different manner. Pierre had four different kinds/definitions of capital which in his mind meant having an excess amount of goods that can be used to create new valued goods. According to Bourdieu, P. (1986) the first type of capital is economic capital. These are material resources and objects that people have that have economic value. The second type is called social capital, this is the people you know and their position in society. The third type is symbolic capital, which refers to resources that help symbolize one’s social status, prestige, and influence within a certain field. Lastly, the fourth type is cultural capital. Cultural capital refers to one’s abilities such as social skills, habits, and the way they speak. It is about the type of capital that is valued and by whom values are all linked to cultural capital.
Pierre Bourdieu’s key theoretical contributions included fields, habitus, and taste. The concept of the field by Bourdieu can be explained as multiple different settings within the social world in which people will work with and on. The term field from Bourdieu however does not have strict guidelines of what classifies as a field, it is more of the fact if an individual works there it is considered a field under Bourdieu’s explanation. Bourdieu explains that because of the fact that relationships are constantly moving and changing that has a direct correlation to fields constantly moving and changing with these different relationships. Habitus can be commonly referred to as someone’s body, emotions, and even the way that an individual thinks, how it is used, and how we respond within the social world. For example, habitus includes our posture, speech patterns, eating behaviors and more are all part of habitus. According to Ramsey, G., (2023). Habitus is often taken for granted however, it is responsible for shaping different perceptions, and actions, and overall controls their behavior. In simple terms, habitus influences how we see, like, and act without realizing it as if it were secondhand nature. Lastly, taste can be explained as how an individual prefers or takes an interest in something. Taste can be commonly linked to habitus because when we show interest in something we are also classifying it in a certain way which means we are also classifying ourselves. The concept of taste developed by Pierre Bourdieu is strongly linked to social class, the higher elites, and cultural capital out of the four different kinds of capital. It explains our likes and our decisions are not completely our choices but in reality, they are influenced by bigger outside/social institutions and structures.
Pierre Bourdieu’s work can help us understand today’s society because it is able to comprehend how cultural capital works and can depict/explain the disparities within employment and education. His work with cultural capital can also help explain how certain types of people maintain and advance their social status through cultural capital. The concept of habitus can and will help us understand today’s society because it is important when talking about social norms, values, and other social topics. Understanding Bourdieu’s work and his ideas about social phenomena will help explain today’s modern society because it allows us to gain a deeper knowledge of how culture, social structures, and power elites all play a role in today’s society. His understanding is symbolic power and how it is intertwined with cultural capital helps us understand how it influences today’s hierarchies. His ideas allow for an understanding of society today because we have to examine how different cultural factors such as their practices and knowledge can determine where they fall in terms of social class. His theories allow for an understanding of how some people “the power elites” have certain advantages in today’s society that most other people do not get or see. This includes but is not limited to access to better jobs, better education opportunities, etc. This shows us how we grow up and can predict our future lives. In order to understand the complicated connection between culture and power using Bourdieu’s key theoretical contributions makes this easier especially when understanding his work with social fields and habitus.
Reference:
Bourdieu, P. (1986) The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.) Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (New York, Greenwood), 241-258.
Ramsey, G., & Grace Ramsey Journalist Master in Public Policy (MPP). (2023, April 20). Pierre Bourdieu & Habitus (sociology): Definition & examples. Simply Sociology. https://simplysociology.com/pierre-bourdieu-habitus.html
Edles, L.D., & Appelrouth, S. 2010. Sociological Theory in the Classical Era: Text and
Readings. 3rd edition.
Allan, K. (2006). Contemporary social and sociological theory: Visualizing Social Worlds. Pine Forge Press.