File spoon-archives/bourdieu.archive/bourdieu_2000/bourdieu.0006, message 70


Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 01:34:01 +0200
From: Jan Frederiksen <janjaf-AT-stud.hum.ku.dk>
Subject: on informational capital


Hi. I'm currently doing a thesis on Bourdieu and the concept of social
biography, and although i like to consider myself pretty much clear on
most of Bourdieus concepts, i've got some problems with the idea of
informational capital. I think it's introduced in State Nobility, but
I'm not sure, since my french is pretty much nonexistant.

As I understand his use of the term informational capital, it seems to
more of an aspect of (mostly) social capital, and cultural capital, than
a unique kind of capital in itself. In an appendix in State Nobility
(p.360-9, Polity english ed.) he explains it, and this explanation seems
to say, that informational capital is not something you come to possess
in itself, but more something which you can access or derive, from
specific kinds of social or cultural capital. Which makes sense, since
the very nature of informatinal capital means its value can't last very
long. Thus it has to be "replaced" whenever needed, it seems to me, and
runs contrary to the idea of capital - It must be at least somewhat
durable, and it entails some amount of work to obtain capital. Even
objectified forms of capital require an amount of work to obtain the
incorporated form, before you can obtain an objectified form.

Since I can't find that many places where the term is used, I can't to
decide whether informational capital is a new, actual form of capital,
or an aspect of the power derived from a dominant position... though i'm
leaning towards the latter.

If I've managed to make any sense, does anyone have an opinion on this ?
I'd be glad to hear, since i'm somewhat confused by this.

-- 
***********************************************************************
*    Jan Frederiksen - janjaf-AT-stud.hum.ku.dk // janjaf-AT-disinfo.net    *
*                               </engel>                              *
* The formal structure of "You Didn't Try to Call Me" is not          *
* revolutionary, but it is interesting.  You don't care. - Frank      *
* Zappa.                                                              *
***********************************************************************

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