File spoon-archives/bourdieu.archive/bourdieu_2003/bourdieu.0305, message 231


From: Cameron Mann <csmann-AT-telstra.com>
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 16:34:46 +1000
Subject: [BOU:] horizontal distinction?


Sharon asked: 

[-[ I'm intrigued by this idea of horizontal rather than
vertical distinction. In what texts of PB would I find
more about this "axis"? ]-]

I really wonder where the idea of fields being 2-dimensional gets lost. 

In /Practical Reason/, B says the vertical axis, which is more 
effective and "undoubtedly the most important" (p7), represents the 
total amount of the forms of capital agents possess (ie, cultural 
capital combined with economic capital), and records the distribution 
of capital where "the holders of a great volume of overall capital, 
such as industrial employers, members of the liberal professions, and 
university professors are opposed, in the mass, to those who are most 
deprived of economic and cultural capital, such as unskilled workers" 
(p7). The more overall capital an agent posseses, the closer to the top 
of this axis is their position. This affords agents greater advantage 
and control, especially in relation to agents closer to the bottom 
(negative pole) of this axis. 

As agents are drawn from a similar position on this axis (ie, agents 
with similar amounts of overall capital), the pertinence of their 
position on the horizontal axis increases, as does the relative 
circumstantial significance of the two kinds of capital. So, the rich 
man has the upper hand at racetrack, while the priest has the upper 
hand at the christening.

Anyways, most of my concern with fields is about fields of culutral 
production (loosely 'artistic fields') and so my understanding owes a 
lot to "The Field of Cultural Production" (um... can't see the book - 
date unknown). Also quite handy "Practical Reason" (1998).

Cam
--------------------
csmann-AT-bigpond.com

"the music that they constantly play, says nothing to me about my life" 
panic, the smiths
 

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