Social work and Pierre Bourdieu: relevance for and in a Norwegian welfare state context

Abstract

ABSTRACT A significant body of the literature argues for the relevance of Bourdieu in social work and other welfare professions due to his focus on social stratification, inequality, and marginalization. Despite this relevance, Bourdieu remains a peripheral figure in social work research and teaching. Thus, the literature poses that Bourdieu is relevant, but largely missing. This paper discusses the relationship between the relevance for and application of Bourdieu in a Norwegian context, with a particular focus on the welfare state. We argue that Bourdieu’s conceptual apparatus can shed light on important social issues and developments in a contemporary context, and thus, also has potential both for social work research and praxis, including research on practices. We pay particular attention to Bourdieu’s notions of ‘doxa’ and ‘symbolic violence’, as well as theories on the modern welfare state, through the concepts of ‘the left and right hand of the state’. We suggest an unfulfilled potential in the application of Bourdieu in the analysis and understanding of the very role and function of social work in a modern welfare state and for themes integral for social work, most notably social inequality and mobility.