Pierre Bourdieu, Geometric Data Analysis and the Analysis of Economic Spaces and Fields

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the current relevance of geometric data analysis (GDA) in a new state of the field of economics where social science disciplines interested in economic phenomena tend to converge. We argue that this methodology can respond to the growing need to seek for more solid empirical foundations, and to adopt a multidimensional approach in social economics. We begin by setting out the basic principles of GDA methodology, which clearly distinguish descriptive and inferential moments of the research. Then, we show why and how Bourdieu used these methods in the studies he carried out in France in a variety of economic spaces and fields: lifestyle and consumption, corporate management, the individual housing market and publishing. We stress that GDA helps us to formalise the configuration and dynamics of economic institutions, groups and interests in a truly multidimensional and pluralistic way compared to standard methods used by mainstream economics.