SOC 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Pierre Bourdieu, Gisselle, Combat Sport
4 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Jennifer Gisselle Marmol
Reading Memo #7
Social Theory Re-Wired: Pierre Bourdieu, discusses Pierre Bourdieu, his life and his
contribution to modern day society. Pierre was a man born into a working-class family who
studied philosophy in college. He is best known for his role as a lead social theorist and the
multitude of written work he has had published throughout the course of his life.
His most influential social theory, that is of relevance today talks upon his understanding of
sociology as a “combat sport”. It is essential to note that the works of the sociologist and conflict
theorist, Karl Marx, has significantly influenced the works of Pierre, whom both share a similar
perspective on what role economics had on the globe. In addition, he had very prominent ideas
on what cultural capital was, stating that it was derived from three different forms. Those three
different forms were the following: embodied, objectified, and institutionalized.
Another influential concept that Pierre came up with was that of habitus, which is also
considered the most influential of all. The core of this concept was to explain how our habits are
deeply ingrained into us as a result of our daily routine and interactions. IN order to explain this
phenomenon, he compared it to an analogy of a skilled baseball player simply feeling for the
game. This was because he perceived the world to be similar to that of a baseball field, divided
up in to different regions that all have their distinct way of being. These separate regions all have
their own set of beliefs, rules and regulations, as well as their own set of struggle, problem and
progress.
Pierre’s beliefs were so deeply ingrained into his, and to an extent I understand where he
was coming from however, I don’t entirely agree, especially not with his concept on having the
world be a sort of field.
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Document Summary
Social theory re-wired: pierre bourdieu, discusses pierre bourdieu, his life and his contribution to modern day society. Pierre was a man born into a working-class family who studied philosophy in college. He is best known for his role as a lead social theorist and the multitude of written work he has had published throughout the course of his life. His most influential social theory, that is of relevance today talks upon his understanding of sociology as a combat sport . It is essential to note that the works of the sociologist and conflict theorist, karl marx, has significantly influenced the works of pierre, whom both share a similar perspective on what role economics had on the globe. In addition, he had very prominent ideas on what cultural capital was, stating that it was derived from three different forms. Those three different forms were the following: embodied, objectified, and institutionalized.
