Author Archive

Pierre Bourdieu

Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002) was a French sociologist and philosopher whose work profoundly influenced literary and cultural theory. His key concepts— habitus (internalized social structures), field (competitive social arenas), and symbolic capital (prestige as a power resource)—were developed in major works such as Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste and The Rules of Art . By analyzing how taste and cultural production reproduce social hierarchies, Bourdieu bridged structuralism and critical sociology, reshaping discussions of ideology, power, and aesthetics.

34 summaries in the archive

Anthropology Making the Economic Habitus – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

The phrase "economic habitus" belongs to that theoretical vocabulary: it names the application of the habitus concept to…

21 min read

Contemporary Philosophy Field of Power, Intellectual Field (Champ de pouvoir, champ intellectuel) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Pierre Bourdieu's "Field of Power, Intellectual Field" represents a crucial theoretical intervention in understanding how intellectuals and cultural.

15 min read

Cultural Studies The Social Uses of Science (Les usages sociaux de la science) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

"The Social Uses of Science" is a collection of Pierre Bourdieu's interventions on the sociology of science and…

14 min read

Classic Literature Cultural Capital, School and Social Space – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

The work demonstrates how the educational system operates through what Bourdieu terms "symbolic violence."

16 min read

African Studies Uprooting (Le déracinement) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Uprooting is a short, incendiary book of political argument, assembled by Italian comrades and published with a brief…

30 min read

Critical Theory The Political Field (Propos sur le champ politique) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

The work develops the concept of the political field as a relatively autonomous social space with its own…

17 min read

Contemporary Philosophy Social Theory for a Changing Society – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Social Theory for a Changing Society is a sociology book first published in 1991.

21 min read

Cultural Studies Sociology in Question (Questions de sociologie) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Sociology in Question is a collection of short texts by Pierre Bourdieu that presents his sociological thinking in…

16 min read

Critical Theory Questions in Sociology (Questions de sociologie) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Questions de sociologie is a collection of interventions, lectures, and interviews that Pierre Bourdieu gave primarily during the…

17 min read

Cultural Studies Students and Their Studies (Les étudiants et leurs études) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Students and Their Studies is a sociological work by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu.

21 min read

African Studies The Mozabite Culture (La culture mozabite) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Bourdieu examines how Ibadite Islam shapes the social organization, daily life, and identity of the Mozabite people in…

6 sec read

Critical Theory The Medium Kills the Message – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Bourdieu argues television monopolizes information diffusion, creating symbolic violence that distorts thought through its own mechanisms.

6 sec read

Cultural Studies On Television (Sur la télévision) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

The book originated from two lectures Bourdieu delivered on the French television channel Collège de France in 1996,…

15 min read

Cultural Studies Masculine Domination (La domination masculine) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

Masculine Domination is Pierre Bourdieu's book-length study of male domination, presented in its opening pages as an analysis…

56 min read

Anthropology The Bachelors’ Ball (Le bal des célibataires) – Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu

The book examines a phenomenon that emerged in the mid-twentieth century: the increasing inability of eldest sons from…

13 min read