Pierre Bourdieu

Question 1

1. Various social fields, including politics, media, art, and academia,
   are sites of power struggles.
2. People use their cultural preferences and consumption patterns
   to signal their social belonging and to (socially) distance
   themselves from others.
3. Individuals from wealthy backgrounds have greater access to
   cultural capital, giving them an advantage in all institutions in
   society.
4. He argues that social mobility is limited for individuals with fewer
   forms of capital.

Answer 1

key arguments of bourdieu

Question 2

the extent to which individuals and social
groups can free themselves from the constraints of basic material
needs.

Answer 2

Distance from Necessity

Question 3

dispositions, beliefs, and social structures that shape an
individual’s behavior, tastes, and perception of the world.

Answer 3

habitus

Question 4

society can be divided into various fields, each with their own
rules, power dynamics, and hierarchies.

Answer 4

Field

Question 5

a specific form of capital related to an individual’s
cultural knowledge, tastes, and education

Answer 5

cultural capital

Question 6

-Bourdieu criticizes economic theory
for defining practices primarily in terms
of economic self-interest and profit
maximization.
-This narrow definition of the economy
has led to the implicit categorization
of other forms of exchange as
disinterested or non-economic.
-Instead, individuals utilize a variety of
capital: economic (e.g., money or
property), cultural, and social.

Answer 6

Critique of Economic Theory
FORMS OF
CAPITAL

Question 7

-Form of capital exist in embodied,
objectified, or institutionalized forms and
linked to an individual’s cultural knowledge
and qualifications.
What you know is shaped by your distance
from necessity.
-In various social contexts, possessing
cultural capital can confer status and
recognition.
-For example, someone with extensive
knowledge of fine art may be seen as a
Sponge

Answer 7

Cultural capital
FORMS OF CAPITAL

Question 8

-Related to an individual’s network of relationships and mutual
recognition within a group.
-Your social connections can provide you with various
resources, like information, opportunities, or support when you
need it.
-Social capital is often dependent upon class location and often
maintains class status.

Answer 8

Social capital
FORMS OF CAPITAL

Question 9

-The aesthetic disposition: refers to an individual’s way of
perceiving and appreciating art, culture, and beauty.
-Tastes: the practical expressions of an individual’s
aesthetic disposition.
-Preferences in aesthetics are shaped by one’s social
position.
-For example, working-class individuals may prefer hearty
and cheap meals, while the upper class may opt for
lighter and more gourmet options.

Answer 9

1. Taste as a Marker of Social Class
   DISTINCTION

Question 10

-Social conditions create ingrained
dispositions.
-Habitus reflects practices and
perceptions that align with one’s class
position.
-Distinctions appear natural and self-
evident.

Answer 10

2. Habitus and Class Conditioning
   DISTINCTION

Question 11

-The dominant classes use lifestyles to signify cultural capital and
maintain social hierarchies.
-Those with strong cultural but weak economic capital, legitimize
their lifestyle as a “higher” way of life.

Answer 11

3. Aesthetic Dispositions and Power
   DISTINCTION