Abstract
How do cultural ideas shape market construction? What do ideas ‘do’ to actors in markets? The paper presents an empirical case study of the reconstitution of the German wine market following an EU legislative intervention. I use Bourdieu's theory of fields to analyse the actors’ economic, social and cultural capitals and the impact of these capitals on the actors’ positioning in the political debate. Sensitised by recurring problems in the empirical data analysis, I then, however, argue that Weber's notion of ideas, as presented in his famous switchmen metaphor, is better suited than, or indeed should serve as a complement to, Bourdieu's frame of analysis. It is better suited, I argue, because it refers to a unique and irreducible source of culture while Bourdieu's capitals remain ‘tools' in a struggle for power and dominance in the field.
Highlights
Max Weber is a man of many quotes, but few have captured the imagination of sociologists more than his famous switchmen metaphor in which he states:
The relationship between ideas and interests is important in many contexts, perhaps most visibly with regard to the interplay of culture and economic behaviour in recent Economic Sociology
Instead of using Bourdieu alone, as many market scholars do, I return to Weber for the analysis of the “culture” part in the term “cultural classifications” because I am not entirely satisfied with Bourdieu’s analysis in this particular regard
Summary
Max Weber is a man of many quotes, but few have captured the imagination of sociologists more than his famous switchmen metaphor in which he states:. Over two thirds of German producers do not market their wines directly to the consumer but sell their grapes to co-operatives or wineries.
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