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Sociology of Bourdieu and Becker

38 important questions on Sociology of Bourdieu and Becker

What does cultural capital mean?

Diploma's, based most of the time on the level of education, easily objectifyable.

What does symbolic capital mean?

Symbols in society, which can be used to raise one's prestige, difficult to measure and objectify.

What does social capital mean?

The network one has: friends and relaitons to help build one's career. Can be measured, but it is difficult to define friends and relations.

What divisions are there in the classes?

Economic and cultural subdivisions.

What is the difference between Bourdieu's theory about classes and Marx' theory?

Bourdieu's theory is more refined.

What is a habitus?

Deeply inbedded habits, inclinations, behavioural patters. It influences behaviour and is built up of dispositions.

By what is a habitus determined?

Habitus is determined by the class in which you grow up (influences lifestyle). It comes from the outside.

What different habiti are there?

Bourgeoisie: luxury habitus
aristocratic ascetism
Petty bourgeoisie: bonne colonté culturelle
Working class: realistic habitus

What is a luxury habitus?

This belongs to the economic fraction of the upper class. They do not only do things because of the soical class they're in, but also because they want to show off.

What is aristocratic ascetism?

This belongs to the cultural fraction of the upper class. They use cultural knowledge to distinguish themselves from others. This also means that they have the time, which they use to build up cultural capital, and that they also already have acces to cultural capital.

What does puritanic-ascetic habitus mean?

Bonne volonté culturelle: They want to look like the upper class, but can't, because of economic and cultural differences. This makes one think about appropriate behaviour.

What does the realistic habitus mean?

This belongs to the lower class. They can't afford things, to look like the upper class, but they also don't want to. Things are meant to be functional, so they don't see any extra 'artistic value' in things.

How is habitus learnt?

You can learn habitus by socialization and social reproduction.

What is primary socialization?

This comes with the upbringing: you are always social. This is the most important one, and determines, like, everything, including cultural preferences.

What is tertiary socialization?

Socialization through friends or work

What is class reproduction?

Habitus is repeated over generation, by primary socialization.

What is meant by social determinism?

Because of class reproduction, it is very difficult to go to another class.

What is symbolic violence?

This occurs at school/in education. Teachers are from the middle class and have their own culture, which is presented to the students as 'the' culture. this can offend students of lower classes.

Why is social determinism being criticised in Bourdieu's theory?

Social determinism --> determines individual behaviour, even notion of freedom is influence by the culture in which you live. It is opposed to individual freedom and development, which Bourdieu denies/ignores. Also, if there was social determinism, there wouldn't be a fight over legitimate culture, which leads to power.

Why is being criticised in Bourdieu's theory by Peterson?

Peterson says that (some) people are cultural omnivores, which can't be in Bourdieu's theory.

What else is being criticised in Bourdieu's theory?

Bourdieu stresses the idea of qualification.

Is Becker's theory a grand theory?

No.

To what school does Becker's theory belong?

Symbolic interactionism: value sociology and a has a descriptive approach.

What is Becker's definition of art?

Art is a collective activity, not the work of an individual genius.

Who is involved in the production of art?

Producer, distributor, etc.

How is art influenced by the art world?

Art is defined by the collective in the art world. "Art is what an art world says is art." So you don't have to say anything about art.

What process leads to art?

Art is the outcome of a collective process of 'giving meaning'

No ontology: art quality?

"The art work is always in the eye of the beholder."

What is the chain of creation?

It starts with an idea, that becomes a product (visible, tangible, audible) that is distributed amongst an audience. There are social conventions in an aesthetic system (conventions, skills, frame). There is always a civic order (norms, values) that validates art.

Is there art outside the art with this chain?

No.

Who ensure these artistic conventions?

Gate-keepers.

How is dismeasure as a conventions paradoxal?

This means deviating from conventions IS a convention, which then is a metaconvention.

What are social conventions?

Agreements about social interactions.

What types of artists are there?

- Integrated professionals
- Folk artists
- Naive artists
- Mavericks

What is an integrated professional?

They found the balance between following conventions and deviating from them.

What is a folk artist?

They are hyper-conventional and break no rules or traditions.

What is a naive artist?

They have no awareness of conventions, don't know the difference between art and amateur art and do not know how to make it.

What is a maverick?

They are very conscious of conventions, but do not want to follow them. They play a big role not only for art but for the whole art world itself.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Kunstsociologie II

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