Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 09:22:48 -0500 (EST)
From: George Free <aw570-AT-freenet.toronto.on.ca>
Subject: Re: Help: Bourdieu/Mannheim


On Tue, 23 Feb 1999 S.Pines-Martin-AT-iaea.org wrote:

> Hello,
> I can't remember if Bourdieu ever mentions Mannheim at greater length, but I
> have the impression that he does, somewhere, refer to him somewhat
> mockingly... Could anybody briefly (or, better, at length!) describe what
> Bourdieu's attitude towards the Mannheimian problematic of a sociology of
> knowledge is?
> 

	As far as I know, Bourdieu does not talk about Mannheim much. 
There are a couple of times he refers negatively to the 'ideology of the
free-floating intelligentsia,' but this should *not* be taken as any kind
of rejection of Mannheim.
	Its my understanding that Bourdieu thinks highly of Mannheim
(sorry I don't have the quote where he says as much handy). Bourdieu's
sociology of knowledge, and his conception of a reflexive sociology, is if
not highly indebted to the Weber-Mannheim tradition at least very close to
it.
	Of course, in saying these things a lot depends on what is meant
by the 'Mannheim problematic.' In my own (perhaps not so humble) opinion,
Mannheim is generally misrepresented and misunderstood, especially in
North America (though the Chicago sociologist Louis Wirth wrote some very
good things on Mannheim). 
	Personally, I have found it fascinating reading Mannheim in light
of Bourdieu. A lot of the latter's work is clearly prefigured in Mannheim,
who himself brings out some of the interesting 'reflexive' features in Max
Weber and the German sociological tradition generally.


George Free
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