Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 15:12:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: Bryan A Case <godwin-AT-umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Bourdieu and capital


In DISTINCTION it seems that 'cultural capital' is an expression covering 
the activities of people determined by their class status, in other words 
by their position in capitalism.  Like Marx's capital, cultural capital 
can be hoarded, spent lavishly, etc. - but is most importantly not the 
same as cultural use value (if I may), which is part of Bourdieu's attack 
on Kant (who would, according to B., have us all be members of a 
classless cultural capitalism).  Your Marxist dialogist is quite right; 
it is not capital as such.  
	I haven't read any other Bourdieu yet - can someone add more from 
other texts?


--Bryan A. Case a/k/a Bryan.Case-AT-um.cc.umich.edu a/k/a godwin-AT-umich.edu--
	"What is equality?"	"It is a hierarchy like any other."
	"What is reason?"	"A cloud eaten by the moon."       
	"What is suicide?"	"Several deafening chimes."
	"Why go on living?"	"Because at prison only the keys sing."
				LA REVOLUTION SURREALISTE 11

On Thu, 21 Jul 1994, Jonathan Beasley Murray wrote:

> The non-economist strikes again...
> 
> Sometime last summer I had a long argument with a Marxist economist about 
> Bourdieu.  I tried to describe what Bourdieu is about, and he said that 
> it was clearly rubbish, because whatever else "cultural capital" is, it 
> isn't capital.
> 
> Can anyone who knows both Bourdieu and economics make any suggestions.   
> As Bourdieu is trying to talk about culture in economic terms, is he 
> wrong economically...
> 
> Clearly his is above all a market-oriented system... where is cultural 
> capital produced?
> 
> Jon
> 
> Jon Beasley-Murray
> Department of English and Comp. Lit.
> U. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
> jbmurray-AT-alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
> 
> 
> 


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