Bourdieu's Theory Of Distinction Analysis
According to Weininger (2005), Bourdieu’s theory of Distinction, published in 1979, re-addresses Weber’s stratification of status and class. In the case of the latter, Weber views composition of the class structure as being those who are the owners of industry, and therefore the wealthiest and wielding the power. Bourdieu believes there are many types of ‘capital’ that cannot be defined as a single concept, and that economic and cultural capital are equally important. Bourdieu defines cultural capital as a competence which endows the ability to wield power in a particular social setting, comprised of multiple factors such as an individual’s cultural knowledge, experience, abilities, manner of speech and thought, factual knowledge, world
views, etc. (Allen and Anderson, 1994, p.70). For Bourdieu, class structure refers to the entirety of labour division, not just defined by ownership and control over production. He introduced the concept of linear axis to illustrate different locations of occupations according to amount of economic and cultural capital each possesses, and where they overlap. At the upper end are the industrialists and executives, occupying overlapping space with professors and intellectuals, sharing class location to collectively represent the ‘dominant’ class. Farm labour and blue collar workers occupy overlapping positions at the bottom end of the axis. In between, are overlapping occupational categories such as small business owners, tradesmen, secretaries, shop keepers, etc. which Bourdieu collectively terms the ‘petit bourgeoisie’ (Weininger, 2005, p.127). While the occupational system is central to class structure and reinforces habitus, it does not in itself create habitus. Dispositions of habitus are created by the fate of one’s birth that reflect the social conditioning experienced by one’s location in ‘capital space’. Habitus therefore provides a set of individual life conditions of similar backgrounds that produce thoughts and actions without reflection or calculation, reinforced by family, communities, schools, churches, and even welfare systems and parole boards that one is exposed to as a result of one’s social location and types of ‘capital’ they possess (Allen and Anderson, 1994; Weininger, 2005).
views, etc. (Allen and Anderson, 1994, p.70). For Bourdieu, class structure refers to the entirety of labour division, not just defined by ownership and control over production. He introduced the concept of linear axis to illustrate different locations of occupations according to amount of economic and cultural capital each possesses, and where they overlap. At the upper end are the industrialists and executives, occupying overlapping space with professors and intellectuals, sharing class location to collectively represent the ‘dominant’ class. Farm labour and blue collar workers occupy overlapping positions at the bottom end of the axis. In between, are overlapping occupational categories such as small business owners, tradesmen, secretaries, shop keepers, etc. which Bourdieu collectively terms the ‘petit bourgeoisie’ (Weininger, 2005, p.127). While the occupational system is central to class structure and reinforces habitus, it does not in itself create habitus. Dispositions of habitus are created by the fate of one’s birth that reflect the social conditioning experienced by one’s location in ‘capital space’. Habitus therefore provides a set of individual life conditions of similar backgrounds that produce thoughts and actions without reflection or calculation, reinforced by family, communities, schools, churches, and even welfare systems and parole boards that one is exposed to as a result of one’s social location and types of ‘capital’ they possess (Allen and Anderson, 1994; Weininger, 2005).