Distinction A Social Critique Of The Judgement Of Taste

In his book “Distinction A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste” Pierre Bourdieu states the middle classes are more pretentious as they are concerned with appearances. “As illustrated in their relationship between upward mobility, less spending on things, and a focus on education as they move from lower working class to middle class or the (petite bourgeoisie). Bourdieu states the middle class is committed to a symbolic representation of dominant lifestyle and status.”. e.g. the middle class are more concerned with appearances and seen as more than who they are, and bettering themselves (p. 251), yet the middle class or “the petite bourgeois is haunted by how they appear to the rich and judgments made of their actions” (p. 251). (The
bourgeoisie or dominate class according to Bourdieu doesn’t have this concern as they are only concerned with maintaining their social position). Which explains the differences between child rearing and established economic means, as the middle class, whom Bourdieu describes as an enthusiastic group, limit their spending and put their focus and energy on their children’s education as a means to improve their children’s social position while bargaining with their economic capital. e.g. Bourdieu states this is unlike the working class who limit their investment in education and choose to work, (as their chances of attaining the dominant class are low). Thus the middle class heavily invests in their children’s education hoping to improve their social class (p. 331). Bourdieu states this is achieved “by the middle class through the accumulation of economic and cultural capital via restricting their consumption and using all their resources on their children, whose role is to continue the families upward mobility.” (However, Bourdieu states economic capital, does not mean that an individual is rich in the other forms of capital). Bourdieu says the working class never sufficiently exhibit an air of being sure of who or what they are, (unlike the dominant class) as the middle class is so occupied with “being seen in a good light,” and consumed by their social status. Thus Bourdieu says the middle class use symbolic forms of capital to improve their position in society, but often get matters of highbrow living wrong and come across as pretentious to the bougie and others due to their habitus and trying to be more than what they are via their processes of upward mobility.