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 ********************************************************************** Contributions: bourdieu-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu Commands: majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu Requests: bourdieu-approval-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005