Bourdieu's Field Research Articles

The Discursive Construction of Journalistic Transparency

Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory, this study explores how journalistic doxa and cultural capital come to be discursively formed. The study culls references to journalistic transparency from a broad range of US journalism trade publications and sites from 1997 to 2015 in order to examine the discursive construction of transparency within the journalistic field. The analysis focuses on what members of the journalistic field in the United States mean by transparency and how transparency is or is not discursively legitimized. Implications for field theory are considered.

A Four-Step Process to Studying the Field through the City of London

This paper introduces a four-step process to studying field that, in unpacking the field of finance and the City of London, offers a theoretical and methodological resource of Bourdieu's field analysis. The task of identifying and exploring the field is concerned with how social relations are positioned within a spatial metaphor that leads to a conceptual vision of a social reality (Harquinet et al., 2012). Developing on this, this paper presents a visual construction of a social space that, in the context of urban analysis, lends itself directly to mapping a conceptual visualisation of a social space in order to both explore and evaluate the underlying and hidden framework of action that constructs and shapes social experience.This piece is my first submission from my doctoral thesis which I am hoping to get published. It is taken from my first empirical chapter, using a range of non-participant observation, photographic representation and in-depth interview analysis. The primary focus of this chapter however is on the first two, using Bourdieu's field analysis as a lens to unpack my argument. As my first submission any positive or constructive feedback would be most appreciated.

Children's rights advocacy as transnational citizenship

AbstractIn this article, we develop conceptual tools for analysing the practices of children's rights organizations and professionals as transnational citizenship. To this end, we set out to trace a continuum of citizenship practices in which global and local influences and forces enmesh in ways that are difficult to grasp when treated as two separate realms. To theorize the social dynamism and spatial constitution of transnational citizenship as a local–global continuum, we turn to Bourdieu's field theory. By analysing the Committee on the Rights of the Child's handling of the Finnish Periodic Report on children's rights, and how Finnish children's rights advocates mobilize its recommendations, we show that transnational citizenship in the field of children's rights is practised not merely ‘out there’ but also ‘right here’. We conclude by discussing what novel insights field theory has to offer to the study of advocacy practices as transnational citizenship.

Multilateral trade governance as social field: Global civil society and the WTO

ABSTRACTThe 1999 Seattle protests, which brought thirty thousand people to the streets in opposition to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and set off a series of other protests against the multilateral economic institutions, helped spark significant academic interest in global civil society and its potential to act as a transformative force in global economic governance. In this article, however, I argue that many of the civil society actors that have sought to engage with and influence the WTO have been transformed in the process. They have both become more technocratic and increasingly moved toward advocating positions that accord with the neoliberal trade paradigm. I draw on Bourdieu's field theory to explain why and how this transformation has occurred. I argue that, in order to understand these changes among parts of civil society, we need to see multilateral trade governance as a social field, which civil society actors enter into as they seek to impact outcomes at the WTO. The case of the WTO challenges existing theories that conceive of global civil society as an exogenous force that acts upon the institutions of global governance, showing instead that global civil society is not in fact independent or autonomous but shaped and influenced by the institution it targets.

Cultural production and the morality of markets: Popular music critics and the conversion of economic power into symbolic capital

This article examines the strategies through which cultural producers may convert their market success into a form of symbolic capital, that is, into a range of distinctive moral values and symbolic boundaries. This question is explored in relation to the rise of popular music criticism in Italy. Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory, this article reconstructs the field's historical genesis and examines the strategies of a heteronomous organisation (the music weekly Ciao 2001). In doing so, it counterbalances the focus of field studies on small scale cultural production, and argues that commercially oriented producers may contribute to the broader legitimation of market imperatives. Further, this article argues that producers’ position in the global cultural field is likely to shape their understanding of heteronomous forces, and thus the way they mobilise and convert different capitals. This article provides an empirical contribution to debates about the impact of market forces on cultural production, and to the growing scholarship on global cultural fields and cultural criticism. Theoretically, it argues that autonomy and heteronomy should not be addressed as mutually exclusive ideal-types, but as dispositions embedded in concrete practices and fields of relations, which may co-exist in the work of both avant-garde and large-scale cultural organisations.

“Eu não movo guerra ao Catolicismo”: contribuições de Tavares Bastos para a construção da liberdade religiosa no Brasil Imperial, a partir da obra Cartas do Solitário

Aureliano Cândido Tavares Bastos was one of the protagonists in the debate on the possibility of religious freedom in 19 th century Brazil. Current paper analyzes the book Cartas do Solitario and Bourdieu field concept to have an in-depth discussion on the issue and other questions of interest.

Vi speler inga covers vi e'! Spelmanslaget som läroplats och dess ideologier

The overall aim of this study is to describe the social structure within Nordanstigs spelmanslag and further how the manifest and latent ideologies connected to the Swedish fiddler movement affects the learning and musical processes in Nordanstigs spelmanslag. The theoretical basis for the study was Bourdieu's field theory, Berger & Luckmanns theory of institutionalisation, Lave & Wengers theories about Communities of practice and Liedman's concept of Manifest and Latent ideologies. The method consisted of both semi-structured interviews of three members in the spelmanslag and also Participatory observation with an auto-ethnographical approach on four occasions. The analysis was done using transcriptions and a self-invented color coding process of categorization. In the results it appears that a significant part of the latent ideology from the Swedish fiddler movement is manifested in the activity of the spelmanslag. Other findings are that the spelmanslag as an institution maintains a strong doxa that derives from its foundation which seems to have a fairly strong influence on its members concerning views on authenticity, repertoire and interpretation. The doxa is mainly upheld and reproduced by individuals that inherits a strong symbolic capital.

Knowledge and Knowers: Towards a realist sociology of education (2014) by Karl Maton

Maton's book charts the evolution of aspects of Legitimation Code Theory (LCT), from its roots in Bourdieu's field theory and Bernstein's code theory, to the multifaceted toolkit for the understanding of social practices that it currently offers. Maton describes LCT as a practical theory rather than a paradigm, a conceptual toolkit and analytic methodology rather than an -ism (p.15), providing the means for analyzing actors' dispositions, practices and contexts within a variegated range of fields (ibid). Maton's goal is to address the issue of 'knowledge blindness' in educational research by developing awareness of knowledge as having existence beyond discourse, with distinctive emergent properties and real effects. He builds a convincing argument that there has been inadequate attention to the nature, structure and effects of types of knowledge, hence the need for a sociology of knowledge and its possibilities and effects. LCT thus locates itself within a social realist paradigm, challenging what Maton argues is a false dichotomy between relativist constructionism and absolutist positivism.

Language and thinking in organization studies

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between language, thinking and society for explaining the degree of visibility of the French organizational studies (OS) production.Design/methodology/approach– This paper proposes a sociological analysis based on Bourdieu field to understand the variation of reception the French OS production have had among the Anglo-Saxon field. The paper aims to underline some key elements, which can explain the differences of reception experienced by the French OS scientists. The paper opted for a general review using historical data; reviews of OS literature; and Google scholar, Web of Science and major OS Journal data.Findings– The paper provides some evidence about how the degree of visibility of the French OS production is related to translation, cognitive and social resonance, producer place in the scientific network and relationship between the fields. It suggests that the degree of visibility is the result of a complex set of socio-cognitive schemes, social issues raised by the scholar and the place occupied by the researcher in the field.Originality/value– The paper brings interesting ideas concerning the international development of the OS field, the degree of visibility of diverse contributions coming from non-English speaking researchers, notably the French ones, and how the dialogue between different linguistic and social universes can be ameliorated.

Literacy and capital in immigrant youths' online networks across countries

Communication technologies are playing an increasingly prominent role in facilitating immigrants' social networks across countries and the transnational positioning of immigrant youth in their online language and literacy practices. Drawing from a comparative case study of the digital literacy practices of immigrant youth of Chinese descent, this paper examines the cross-border social relationships that are fostered between the youth and their peers in their natal country through the use of instant messaging and other online media. Using Pierre Bourdieu's capital and field theory, and the concept of social capital, this paper considers how literacy development in transnational contexts constitutes the production of social and cultural capital. It argues that the youths' online literacy practices need to be understood within the particular social fields in which they are situated and how they allow the youth to navigate and take up position within social fields that cross national boundaries.

IR in France: state and costs of a disciplinary variety

AbstractThis article addresses the issue of disciplinary variety in French International Relations (IR) from the perspective of Bourdieu's scientific field theory. The tug of war between ‘dominants’ and ‘pretenders’ for the control of IR as ‘their’ discipline in French academia originates from the difficulty of (only) one discipline, that is, political science, monopolising IR. Compared to other subfields of political science, IR is the field of research that borrows most from other scholarly disciplines. These difficulties strengthened the imperviousness of French IR to the works of IR scholars from the Anglo-American world; until very recently, insularity and particularism could not proceed much further. This period matches roughly to one in which IR was dominated, in France, by law and history. Today there is still a very strong influence of this period when scholars from disciplines other than political science distrusted IR theories. Other reasons related to the issue of the disciplinary variety of IR, for instance the absence of a general acknowledgment of the peer-review system, may contribute to the complexity, if not confusion, which characterises the identify of French IR.

(Un)conscious (popular) underground: Restricted cultural production and underground rap music

Alternative (or “underground”) rap music proves a worthy site for applying ideas associated with Bourdieu's field of cultural production. I examine how underground rap music blurs the boundaries of restricted and large-scale production, as represented by noncommercial and commercial rap respectively. Artists identified as “underground” deploy anti-corporate, politically-charged, and socially-conscious lyrics, which can be viewed as restricted production. However, these lyrical themes are relatively scarce compared to themes of misogyny and hyper-masculinity found in this sub-genre and predominately found in commercial rap. This study thus reveals that large-scale and restricted fields of production may intersect (Craig and Dubois, 2010; Elafros, 2013; Hitters and van de Kamp, 2010; Sapiro, 2010). In this case, a symbiotic relationship may exist between major record companies and underground artists (Lena, 2006; Watkins, 2005; Watts, 2012) that demands further analysis. Rappers’ habitus may inform and interact with rap music production, especially for “second-go-round” artists, compelling them to cooperate with commercial rap market imperatives (i.e., by using misogynistic and violent lyrics, as well as politically-oriented and socially-conscious rhymes) to maximize their appeal to both alternative rap consumers and large, mainstream record labels.

The genesis of collective health in Brazil

During the 1970s in Brazil a social space directed towards health problems on the population level, called collective health, was created and institutionalised. To what extent did this Brazilian invention correspond to a specific socio-historical practice? The works published on this topic have considered social medicine as a homogeneous phenomenon without empirically studying the specificities of national experiences. To bridge this gap, a historical study on the genesis of collective health in Brazil was carried out based on Bourdieu's field theory. The interaction between the paths of the founders and the conditions of historical possibilities were researched through documentary and bibliographical sources, as well as through in-depth interviews of the founders. This social space originated from a meeting of agents with different social backgrounds but who interconnected, creating a structure that was independent of each agent considered individually. One of the components of this establishment was the joining of theoretical production and the implementation of health reforms that resulted in the organisation of a universal health system. This study attempts to show how the international political situation and the contradictions of the national crisis created a universe of possibilities, allowing for the genesis of this sui generis space in Brazil.

JOURNALISTS IN THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (GDR)

The study explores the social background, career stations, working conditions and role-perceptions of journalists in East Germany before the wall came down. Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory as well as on interviews and memoirs, it uses 121 career paths to construct a collective biography of journalists. The findings show that journalism was, indeed, closely tied to the centre of power. The dominance of the first two generations of journalists within the field even intensified its political significance. While both the founding and the “Aufbau” generation developed a political role perception, the young could quickly switch to Western standards after 1989.

A formação pedagógica no ensino superior e o papel da pós-graduação stricto sensu

Desenvolvemos este trabalho com base na ideia de que ser docente no ensino superior não é apenas uma questão de domínio de conteúdo, de expertise em determinado campo. A prática pedagógica em tal nível de ensino é complexa, contextualizada, muitas vezes imprevisível e se configura por escolhas éticas e políticas. Nesse sentido, entendemos que a docência demanda um processo formativo que pode ter como fase inicial a pós-graduação stricto sensu. A partir de tal discussão, estabelecemos como objetivo estudar o modo como a formação pedagógica é tratada no âmbito das políticas públicas para o ensino superior, mais especificamente no que tange à pós-graduação stricto sensu. Para tanto, valemo-nos de dois referenciais metodológicos: a teoria dos campos de Pierre Bourdieu e a análise crítica do discurso de Norman Fairclough. A compreensão da pós-graduação como um campo científico e a análise do Plano Nacional de Pós-Graduação indicaram que esse nível de formação superior está basicamente voltado para a acumulação de capital científico e para a formação de habitus científico, tudo isso em meio a um silêncio sobre a dimensão do ensino no fazer e ser docente. Concluímos que há a necessidade de desenvolver uma cultura de valorização do ensino na universidade, processo este que pode ter na valorização de um capital pedagógico e na formação de um habitus pedagógico na pós-graduação stricto sensu uma fase de grande relevância.

Formação pedagógica na pós-graduação stricto sensu em saúde coletiva

The scope of this research is to discuss the relevance and need for pedagogical training of university lecturers in the Public Health field. The contention is that college teaching is a practice that requires specific training, since it is characterized by complex elements that transcend the mastery of given content. Considering stricto sensu graduate studies as an important stage in the training of future university lecturers, an attempt was made to identify and analyze the subjects and practices of pedagogical training in academic masters and doctorate programs in Public Health. To achieve the research aim, this work was based on Pierre Bourdieu's field theory and on Tomaz Tadeu da Silva's curriculum theory. Results indicate that the programs do not consider the aspect of teacher training as a major issue. With regard to the Public Health field approximately 61% of masters and 38% of doctorate programs have pedagogical training subjects/practices. Furthermore, there is a tendency for technical-instrumental training, which is in line with the history of the Public Health field. The conclusion is that there is a need to develop a culture that values college and graduate Public Health teaching, considering the complexity of pedagogical practice in all its dimensions.

The Journalistic Field and the City: Some Practical and Organizational Tales about theToronto Star's New Deal for Cities

This article presents Pierre Bourdieu's field theory as a way to approach the under–theorized relationship of journalism and the city. The concept of field provides a way to conceive of the conditions of possibility for what journalists do in, through, and in relation to the urban. Bringing this concept together with practice theory and organizational sociology, I examine four practical and organizational tales–two narratives and two episodes–related to the Toronto Star's New Deal for Cities campaign. These tales demonstrate how journalistic practices are not only performed in and distinctively oriented towards urban space, but also are at the same time regulated by, oriented towards, and positioned in the journalistic field. I highlight how journalistic practices take place in multiple organizational sites, through changing regimes of managerial authority and legitimacy, and with shifting positioning in and orientations to the journalistic field and other social fields of the city.

PRESS CLUBS, THE JOURNALISTIC FIELD AND THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM IN PAKISTAN

This article reports original research findings about the role of press clubs in Pakistan and shows how media systems and social structures are powerful shaping influences on the practice of journalism. Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory the article examines field dynamics in Pakistani journalism and the means by which journalists protect themselves and their collective interests. A key element in the Pakistani news world is the press club. The empirical data collected via a survey of 576 journalists and focus group discussions show that divisions in the journalistic field between autonomy and heteronomy are not always clear cut. In Pakistan the press club system helps journalists to pursue their self-interest. This is a reminder that to understand news production and journalism and how they are performed and accomplished, it must be acknowledged that they are forms of social organization that are historically, culturally, and socially situated.

Service Providers, Sentinels, and Traders

This article presents a typology of role perceptions arrived at by a base of about 500 qualitative interviews conducted with German journalists from all branches of the media system. Between 2005 and 2008 German journalists were questioned about their careers, their working conditions, and their role perceptions. The present study uses the field theory of Bourdieu in order to examine the factors which influence the journalists’ role perceptions. Bourdieu's terms habitus, capital, and field are used as analysis instruments, and guided the research process.

TRAJECTORIES OF WOMEN JOURNALISTS' CAREERS IN HONG KONG

Gender inequalities persist in the journalism industry in Hong Kong, as female journalists are seriously under-represented in the upper echelons of news organizations. Not unlike other countries, a major reason contributing to the phenomenon is the family–work tensions experienced by many female journalists, which lead many to leave the field at different stages in their lives. This study examines this problematic through the lens of Bourdieu's field theory. Individual journalists are seen as positioned in several overlapping fields in differentiated manners. Using survey and in-depth interviews, this study not only highlights the presence of structural inequalities in journalism and the pervasiveness of family–work tensions for female journalists, but also interrogates the conditions which allow some female journalists to handle work and family simultaneously and relatively successfully. We also discuss the implications of our findings for ways to tackle the problem of gender inequalities in journalism.