Bourdieu's Theory Research Articles

Can't Buy Me Love: Commodification and Redemption in F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Popular Girl”

Abstract F. Scott Fitzgerald's popular magazine fiction story “The Popular Girl” mirrors in its commodification of characterization, language, relationships, and plot points the same commodification in the author's career, personal life, and national societal experiences in the jazz age. However, the story's emphasis on social and cultural capital—and that of the author and his country—cannot be fully understood through discussion centered strictly on commodification/consumerism or social class alone. Pierre Bourdieu's theory of the interplay of economic and cultural capital can be applied to explain the actions of the main character, Yanci, and by extension Fitzgerald's and 1920s America.

Constructing new social relationships in Socially Engaged Art Education: based on the learnersʼ experience of relation with socially vulnerable individuals

본 연구의 학습과정을 통해 파생될 수 있는 새로운 사회적 관계의 가능성을 제시하고 그 과정에서 사회적 약자와의 관계성에 대한 학생들의 시각 및 인식은 어떻게 변화하는지 그리고 사회적 약자와의 관계성에 대해 학습자가 경험하는 실제적인 의미 는 무엇인지를 고찰하고자 하는 것이 본 연구의 목적이다. 사회적으로 단절되는 관계적 측면을 부각하기 위해서 학생들과 거리감이 있는 사회적 약자를 학습주제로 선택했다. 본 연구의 미술교육 프로그램은 자본주의 사회체제의 문제로 인해 구분 되고 단절되는 사회적 관계를 비판하고 미술을 통한 새로운 관계의 가능성을 제시한 니꼴라 부리요와 피에르 부르디외의 이론을 기초로 한다. 본 연구는 디자인전공 대학생들을 대상으로 1학기 동안 실행하였으며 참여적 실행연구의 방법론을 적용 해 연구자가 학습 참여자인 동시에 학습 촉진자이자 교수자로서 교육 프로그램을 실행했다. 수업결과 분석은 어떤 현상 및 문제에 대해 학습자의 개인적인 경험 및 그 경험의 실제적 의미를 텍스트의 분석을 통해 파악하고자 한 밴 매넌의 해석학적 현상학을 적용하였다. 수업결과 분석을 통해 학생들이 사회적 약자에 대한 문제를 ‘나도 그런 입장이 될 수 있으며, 나의 일이 될 수도 있다.’라고 느끼는 자기화(주체화)와 사회적 약자의 상황과 문제에 대해 민감성을 가지며 사회적 약자에 대한 학생들의 시각과 인식이 변화되었음을 볼 수 있었다.The purpose of this study is to determine a new possibility of social relationships, changes of learners’ perspective on relation with social minorities and the learners actual experiences revealed in the learning process. In order to emphasize the severance of social relations, socially vulnerable individuals are selected as a part of the subject matter in this study, creating a sense of distance to the learners. This study was based on the theories of Bourdieu and Bourriaud which criticize the aspects of a relationship that are cut off and disintegrated due to the social system. As research methodology, participatory action research was applied and the interpretative phenomenology was applied for the analysis of the results from the class conducted for the study to understand learners experiences. Based on the results of the analysis in this study, the meaning experienced by students regarding their relations with socially vulnerable individuals could be concluded as “what is relevant to me”. This result indicates a development of sensitivity and self-internalization of the situation to see the situation of the sexual assault victim as “something that could happen to me”

Haitianos no Paraná (Brasil) em 2018: estratégias em momento de crise

O presente artigo insere-se no conjunto de estudos sobre fluxos migratórios e inserção sócioeconômica de migrantes no contexto latino-americano. A análise apresentada diz respeito à pesquisa realizada durante o mês de agosto de 2018, junto a 29 imigrantes haitianos residentes na cidade de Curitiba (PR) e seu entorno. Através da aplicação de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e da organização de grupo focal sobre migração e inserção socioeconômica, apresentamos uma discussão sobre os modos de fazer desses imigrantes frente a crise econômica e de emprego que o Brasil experimenta desde 2015. Investigamos de forma específica como esse grupo de imigrantes vem enfrentando reveses sociais e econômicos – desemprego, moradia e perspectivas futuras - incluindo aí os constrangimentos sociais informais e sutis que existem em seus espaços de circulação e de sociabilidade. Utilizando como referencial a Teoria da Prática de Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002), analisamos em que medida os percursos migratórios e as estratégias são o resultado de disposições incorporadas (habitus) e capitais adquiridos antes da migração, observando ainda o modo como as diversas práticas sociais e discursos são ativados e exteriorizados no trato cotidiano das situações vivenciadas na sociedade de destino.

Capital interplays and social inequalities in health.

We explore the ramifications of applying Pierre Bourdieu's theory of capitals to epidemiological research on socioeconomic health inequalities. Capitals are resources used by individuals and groups to maintain and enhance their positions in the social order. The notion of capital interplay refers to the interconnectedness of multiple forms of capital in the production of good health. We provide definitions of economic, cultural and social capitals and describe a variety of causally distal processes-namely, capital acquisition, multiplier and transmission interplays-from which new hypotheses can be developed to guide future study of socioeconomic health inequalities in modern societies.

Linguistic habitus, different capitals and the identity of bilingual youth: the case of Austrian Carinthia

ABSTRACTThe article summarises the results of pilot research about communicative practices among adolescents at bilingual schools in Austrian Carinthia. I present the findings by referencing Bourdieu's Theory of Practice, which I supplement when necessary with established concepts from sociolinguistics and social psychology. Bilingual schools are one of the last public spaces in the region where the use of Slovene is said to prevail, but even here it seems that Slovene is not the first choice of most pupils. We can conclude from what the young people say about their language practices that the decisive elements for the formation of an individual's (language) identity are the habitus acquired during primary socialisation and the linguistic capital acquired during the phase of secondary socialisation or formal education. The current relative values of different languages in Austrian Carinthia as determined by their use are, of course, not set in stone, but it seems that that any change would require active language policies.

Analysis of the media advertising market in the context of P. Bourdieu's theory of capital

The media advertising market, its main actors, their interaction and the role of information in this interaction in terms of Pierre Bourdieu are presented in this article. The media advertising market is described as a field where advertisers, media buying and selling agencies, as well as the medium, operate. It considers the decision-making process in this market, as well as the types and role of the information is circulating on it. The amount of available human and social capital in the form of experience and qualifications of employees, availability of necessary skills and reputation necessary for a successful negotiation is also important for success achieving of the subject in the market. A special place in this series is occupied by the data of studies of audiences — ratings, coverage, shares, etc. The work also states the exceptional importance of media measurements in the processes of conversion and exchange of cultural and economic capital. In particular, such levels of participation of information in these processes are considered: the absence of data influence on the market; indirect data impact on the market through demand; direct conversion of capital through ratings; capital conversion through various target actions of the audience. The types of conversion available in a particular market depend on the level of development of audience research in a given market. Thus, information becomes one of the main resources of the media advertising market. The analysis carried out in this article showed that the information capital obtained as a result of media measurements should be considered as specific industrial capital circulating in the media advertising media market.

Poison in the Ivy: Race Relations and the Reproduction of Inequality on Elite College Campuses by W. Carson Byrd

Reviewed by: Poison in the Ivy: Race Relations and the Reproduction of Inequality on Elite College Campuses by W. Carson Byrd Walter R. Allen and Gadise Regassa W. Carson Byrd. Poison in the Ivy: Race Relations and the Reproduction of Inequality on Elite College Campuses. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2017. 264 pp. Paperback: $34.95. ISBN: 978-0-8135-8936-7 Poison in the Ivy: Race Relations and the Reproduction of Inequality on College Campuses reflects the growing disillusionment with higher education's efforts to sufficiently address inequality and negative racial attitudes. Byrd offers a sociological perspective on how elite colleges in the United States sustain and reinforce racial inequity through campus social redlining. Student's limited interactions with diverse peers distort their understanding of racial disparities on campus and beyond. Building on Pierre Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction of power in institutions, Byrd examines how elite higher education institutions create and reinforce individualistic conceptualizations of racial inequality. Byrd's study helps readers make sense of why notions like meritocracy and individualism persist despite demonstrable structural racial inequities in the United States and globally. Elite college campuses represent perfect settings for study since they are often simultaneously sites of progressive change and entrenched racial inequality. Byrd masterfully demonstrates that despite exposure to research and knowledge disputing racial stereotypes, student's [End Page E-2] socioeconomic status, racial identities, and peer interactions can lead them to rationalize—and accept—racial disparities. Using elite college environments as proxy, this book explores racism and the future prospects of racial equality in the United States. Poison in the Ivy focuses on elite college campuses given their students' disproportional access to opportunity, status, and privilege. Elite colleges are major contributors to the pipeline for influential public and private leadership positions. Byrd's prior research on racial essentialism, race and intelligence, and racial socialization in highly selective colleges sets the context. He goes on to analyze how toxic, segregated campus environments inhibit students' efforts to make sense of racial inequity in their own lives, on campus, and in the wider community. He identifies how college students develop social networks, how social interactions inform racial attitudes, and whether racial identities influence these outcomes. Byrd addresses five key issues: (1) how often students interact across racial and ethnic lines, (2) whether patterns vary across social situations, like friendships, roommates, or student organizations, (3) the relationship between student interactions and racial beliefs, (4) how racial identity influences attitudes and interactions, and (5) how "eliteness" and "whiteness" jointly shape student ideologies and interactions. To explore these questions, Byrd analyzes quantitative data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen (NLSF), a 1999-2003 study of 3,251 students from 28 of the nation's most highly selective colleges and universities. The book's intuitive structure eases reader access by introducing typical views of race, difference, and inequality on college campuses. Byrd's longitudinal framing of the college-going process illustrates the evolution of racial attitudes and beliefs. He details the process of racial socialization and intra- and inter- group interactions before, during, and after college. Chapter Two, "Life Before College: Factors Influencing Early Views of Race and Inequality," begins with the understanding that college students receive messages around race and difference early on in their educational journeys. Before college, from primary through secondary school, students develop and are bound by rigid conceptualizations of race and inequality. By the time they enter college, students have deep-seated beliefs about race as well as how and—with whom—they should interact. Byrd finds that students disregard structural explanations of racial and class inequalities and instead attribute the lower social and economic status of racial minorities to individual causes. Whether these ideologies change during college is explored in the next two chapters. Chapter Three, "Mixing it Up on Campus: Patterns of and Influences on Student Interactions," introduces the crux of the argument by analyzing interactional patterns during college. When students enter college, they find a space characterized by racial hierarchy and segregation that normalizes certain patterns of social interactions. Ironically, for many students, college is their first exposure to racial, ethnic diversity. Byrd finds that pre-college friendships across racial lines...

A Bourdieusian analysis of employment services workers in an era of Workfirst

AbstractThis article draws on qualitative research which focused on worker experiences of Workfirst activation during the Job Services Australia (JSA) contract of employment services. The Workfirst orientation of Australian labour market programmes created imperatives for activation workers to monitor job seeker compliance with activity tests. As part of the broader cohort interviewed in the study, activation workers were interviewed about the way sanctions were used to discipline job seekers in street‐level exchanges. These workers had experienced the transition from the Job Network to JSA and had observed how a shift to Workfirst became institutionalised in organisational practices and culture.Concepts from Bourdieu's field theory are used to situate activation workers in the employment services field that became more managerial during the transition to Workfirst and where sanction‐based practice was mainstreamed. Drawing also on Peillon's sociology of welfare, employment services are described as part of the welfare field in which the activation workers experienced the misrecognition associated with Workfirst, which is described as a structure of domination. The analysis employs the concept of intersubjective recognition to draw attention to the subjective and objective co‐construction of street‐level interactions. This study has implications for understanding how welfare reforms affect activation workers, the contributors to the erosion of employment services capability, and the need for investment in workforce development in the employment services sector.

ENLACES, CRES y Regionalidad: algunas aproximaciones sobre la integración de los campos de Educación Superior en América Latina y el Caribe

Este artículo analiza la formación de ENLACES (Espacio de Encuentro Latinoamericano y Caribeño de Educación Superior), previsto en la Declaración de la Conferencia Regional sobre Educación Superior en América Latina y el Caribe - CRES 2008. El artículo también trata sobre regionalismo, regionalización y regionalidad. Para esto, metodológicamente, se utilizan teorías críticas de enfoque, como la Teoría de los Campos Sociales de Pierre Bourdieu, el Nuevo Regionalismo de Björn Hettne, Frederik Söderbaum y Tanja A. Börzel, y la Economía Política Cultural (CPE), especialmente de Roger Dale y Susan Robertson.

Just one of the guys until shower time: How symbolic embodiment threatens women's inclusion in the US military

The military constitutes a complex occupational field for women — one in which embodied masculinity is legitimized and rewarded, and women's bodies are often perceived as problems to the extent that they deviate from this masculine standard. Drawing from 33 in‐depth interviews with men and women who served on active duty in the US military between 2005 and 2015, we ask: How does female embodiment raise barriers to the full incorporation of women as equal workers in a total institution? Our analysis focuses on three primary aspects of what we call symbolic embodiment (female bodies as physically weak, as leaky/unclean and as sexually distracting), as they are rooted in the cultural imagination more than in any biological or experiential reality. We show how the symbolic embodiment of female workers effectively undermines individual claims of honorary masculinity by reasserting the pre‐eminence of naturalized capacities over individual performance and experience, and constructs women as second‐class workers within the masculine culture of the military. Our results extend the literature on the embodied self at work and reveal potential limits to Bourdieu's theory of the gendered habitus.

Class-based masculinity, cardiovascular health and rehabilitation.

Men in economically advanced societies are more at-risk of dying prematurely due to heart disease than women, and this risk is inversely related to their socioeconomic status (SES). While the strong influence of socioeconomic factors on self-management of chronic diseases is important, the impact of masculinity must also be considered. This study examines the social variation in preventive health lifestyles of men from two contrasting socioeconomic groups who have suffered from a cardiovascular incident requiring hospitalization. It draws chiefly on Pierre Bourdieu's sociocultural theory of the practice (habitus and symbolic violence). Qualitative data was collected through 60 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Canadian men (average age 57.3). Results indicate that participants from both socioeconomic groups share aspirations towards personal fulfilment (achieving a sense of security, preserving autonomy and gaining social recognition) after their heart incident, but apply different strategies in pursuit of these aspirations that have distinctive effects on healthy lifestyles. This study emphasise the importance of drawing on theoretical approaches in public health that have the potential to combine universal with context-specific views of human experience in order further understand health and lifestyle inequalities.

Jurnalisme sebagai Arena Pertarungan Kepentingan: Telaah Teori Kebudayaan

This paper is a theoretical study of the use of cultural theory which played to explain journalism activities that just not an activity to provide accurate information in the public space. In an industrial context, in fact journalism activities has face any complex situasion. Now, the activities is no longer exclusively owned by journalists, but journalism is a kind of football arena that have some interest in it. To present news, journalists must be able to absorb various interest from various trajectories. There is a game metaphor that journalists must follow, and how journalist do "practice" the game in the field of contestation, which will be explored using Bourdieu's cultural theory,Through this article, I hope, it can contribute to how anthropology plays a role in developing media studies, and vice versa, it can be a trigger for how anthropologists should begin to enter cultural studies which are not just exotic and simple social units; but also entered the study arena into more complex social units, for example in media organizations

Socioeconomic status gaps in child cognitive development in Germany and the United States

Drawing upon Bourdieu's cultural reproduction theory, this study sets out to examine the influence of agency on the practice of cultural capital. The technique of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was applied to analyze this influence on 960 graduates randomly sampled from 12 Chinese independent high schools in Malaysia. The results show that mothers’ qualifications and fathers’ occupations consistently contribute to students’ academic achievements. As these two variables are associated with the practice of cultural capital and the constitution of economic capital, respectively, the realization of cultural capital is geared by family socioeconomic status (SES) variables. These relations suggest that visionary agency performed by high SES parents is embedded within the economic-cultural-capital formation.

Agua subterránea y riego mecanizado: distinción y vulnerabilidad social ante el riesgo de sequía entre los agricultures de la provincia de Córdoba, Argentina

En este trabajo nos proponemos recuperar el concepto de vulnerabilidad social ante la sequía para analizar la incidencia de la adopción de riego con agua subterránea en la construcción social del riesgo. Desde una perspectiva relacional y cualitativa, situamos el análisis de la vulnerabilidad social en el marco de la teoría de las prácticas sociales de Pierre Bourdieu. A partir de un estudio de caso en la provincia de Córdoba, Argentina, describimos los capitales que tienen aquellos agricultores que optan por la inversión en riego mecanizado. En un medio agroecológico donde la sequía es el principal condicionante ambiental y es vista por los productores como un peligro, entendemos dicha adopción tecnológica como una estrategia clave para la mediana agricultura familiar. Como resultado mostramos de qué modo el riego con agua subterránea no sólo disminuye la vulnerabilidad ante la sequía de los regantes, sino que amplifica la vulnerabilidad de los productores de secano. En este sentido, esta tecnología tiene un efecto diferenciador sobre las condiciones de vulnerabilidad, en tanto tiende a reproducir la desigualdad entre los productores.

How states tighten control: a field theory perspective on journalism in contemporary Crimea.

This article contributes to denationalizing Bourdieu's field theory by analysing the relationship between a regional news media field, the state and transnational influences. The article seeks to answer the question of how a state can impose limits on the autonomy of the news media field during political transition. Field theory is applied to changes that have taken place in Crimean news media since Russia's annexation of the peninsula in 2014. Drawing on narrative interviews with journalists who worked in Crimea in 2012-17, expert interviews, and secondary sources, I demonstrate how Crimea's news media field went from being dominated by varied Ukrainian private news media owners to becoming dominated by the Russian state. I show that states can employ direct measures such as anti-press violence and ownership appropriation of news media outlets in order to increase concentration of state media ownership. In addition, states can reallocate capital in the news media field, disenfranchising some journalists and outlets while favouring others. The adaptive strategies of individual journalists, who, upon losing capital, can sometimes relocate or leave their jobs, also changes the composition of news media fields. Departing from a common view of social spaces as bounded within nation-states, I examine how the news media field of Crimea has been shaped by both transnational influences, and by the direct imposition of Russian state power through a reconstitution of national borders.

Anchoring depth ontology to epistemological strategies of field theory: exploring the possibility for developing a core for sociological analysis

ABSTRACTCritical realism's insight into depth ontology creates the possibility for re-imagining sociology as a science of the social world. However, critical realism has yet to gain a strong foothold in sociological analysis. Challenging the available criticism of critical realism, I argue that its main flaw is its inability to draw an appropriate epistemological strategy from its insights into depth ontology. I propose that this limitation can be overcome when we anchor the depth ontology of critical realism to the two-step epistemological strategies of Bourdieu's field theory: first, objectifying common sense to develop a scientific model of social structure; and second, objectifying the scientific point of view to re-introduce common sense in the scientific model of social structure. I argue that by anchoring the ontological insights of critical realism to the epistemological strategies of field theory, we can create the long-sought core around which sociology can progress as a science of the social world.

Social inequalities in rural England: Impacts on young people post-2008

This paper investigates the cumulative impacts of the 2008 economic crisis and its aftermath (including policy changes) on young people in a sparsely populated rural area of northern England. The paper locates the research in the context of youth studies, Bourdieu's theory of practice, concepts of welfare regimes and welfare mix, and studies of the impacts of the crisis and austerity policies on the distribution of social and societal risk. The empirical findings reveal the challenges which faced young people in rural England before the financial crisis still persist. Moreover, the overwhelming reliance of young people on family for support generates further inequalities through what might be termed ‘secondary impact austerity’: young people feel indirectly and unevenly the economic effects and policy changes which impact on parents' and communities' ability to offer them support. Thus, changes to the welfare system, loss of services and less secure forms of employment exacerbate the transfer of social risk and the deepening of poverty for vulnerable groups. This is worsened in this rural area by the moral imperatives which stigmatise access to state and charitable support. Thus, moral capital and local habitus intersect with social, economic and cultural capitals in structuring inequalities.

THE PRACTICE OF CITY RESIDENTS IN INFORMALITY RIVERBANKS WINONGO YOGYAKARTA CITY

<p><em>The city is a network of human life which is characterized by a high population density with colorful heterogeneous socioeconomic strata and materialist. Cities in Indonesia is currently undergoing a fairly rapid growth rate. This makes more and more people are interested to move and settle in the city. The impact of the activity of the townspeople always affects the environment inside. The river is one of the influences of the ecological activity of the city. The banks of the river became the site of the settlement of the community we callcity-village. City-Village inhabited by natives or newcomers with limited conditions that do daily activities to maintain his presence in the city. This research aims to 1) Describes social conditions the city-village of Winongo riverbanks. 2) The physical condition of the environment Winongo riverbanks. 3) Describes the everyday practice of residents of the city on the Winongo River. In this study used the thought of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of capital. This study uses qualitative methods, Descriptive approach to generate the information. The selected informer is the original city residents, expat residents and FKWA as the Winongo River Community. Data collection using in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The research results showed that: 1) City-Village of winongo riverbanks have dynamics over time. Changes in total population seriring just time to make settlements in the city is getting memeadat. The presence of many routine activities collectively used to tie the laces of city-village on the Winongo River. 2) The physical condition of the city-villages and river more start specially degraded river conditions began declining quality is due to receive waste from human activities. Waste into the Winongo probelm and there needs to be an awareness to preserve the Winongo. 3) Everyday lives practice showed that the city-village’s Winongo riverbanks most of all its citizens with low socio economic circles. The daily activities of the city-village of this town is a form of adaptation should be done to connect to live. The idea of Bourdieu about capital, proved to be the fifth capital used in the everyday life of the city-village in sustaining life. Reciprocal relationships, networks, norms and trust strengthen city residents living in activity and connect live.</em></p>

Change it or perish? Drug resistance and the dynamics of livestock farm practices

Farm practices related to drug use in animal agriculture play an important role in the development of drug resistance. In this paper, I use Bourdieu's theory of practice to explore the field of deworming and how the use of deworming medications, also called anthelmintics, by farmers may be a pragmatic choice within the habitus of livestock farming. Drawing on 42 in-depth interviews with livestock farmers across England I show how farmers prioritise farm productivity and animal health and welfare to the detriment of an adequate use of anthelmintics, which may lead to an increase in drug resistance. I also discuss some of the particularities regarding the engagement between farmers, veterinarians and the industry, and how expert advice is commonly limited to one-way flow of information. As a strategy to address drug resistance in livestock, mainstream policy approaches to drug management in the farm have prioritised the development and dissemination of technical guidelines. However, these guidelines are usually disconnected from the farming context, do not take into account the complexity and challenges of farm everyday practices and are eventually rejected by farmers. Although there has been increased interest from the social sciences in studying the intersection between drug resistance and farmers' perceptions and behaviour, there is still a need for unpacking the often hidden dynamics and logics of farm practices, understanding how they shape animal health management and, more specifically, drug use. I argue that farm practices related to drug use are situated within a larger context of intensive animal production systems, which themselves contribute to the emergence of animal diseases, the medicalisation of animal production and drug resistance.

Communication access: is there some common ground between the experiences of people with aphasia and speakers of English as an additional language?

ABSTRACTBackground: Creating communication accessible environments is an essential component to facilitating the social inclusion and well-being of people with communication support needs (CSN). However, in Australia, this has yet to translate into legislation, which may be partly due to the relatively small numbers of people if CSN only considers people with a communication disability. Including people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, significantly increases the size of the cohort that may benefit from communication access legislation.Aims: This study explores whether the face to face experiences of service encounters of people with aphasia (PWA) were similar to speakers of English as an additional language (EAL) in an attempt to highlight the need for government policy to address the needs of a larger cohort of people with a wide range of CSN.Methods & Procedures: Using a qualitative description approach, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with five PWA and five EAL speakers about their experiences within service interactions. Using this approach, the study explored the key features which were perceived as enabling or constraining communication access. Results are explored against the backdrop of a sociological theoretical conceptual model, drawing from the theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Erving Goffman, to consider a deeper nuanced understanding of the connections between communication access, social capital and social inclusion.Outcome and results: This study suggests that there are shared experiences for PWA and speakers of EAL within service interactions. Although both groups describe many positive experiences, findings indicate that even subtle negative reactions by service providers, in particular non-verbal behaviours, are conceptualised as having a considerable impact on their negotiation of social capital and ultimately social inclusion. This study highlights that a sociological framework, underpinned by the theories of Bourdieu and Goffman appears to be a useful template for researchers to consider when studying the interactions of people with CSN.Conclusion: A wider cohort of people could benefit significantly from policy development which promotes communication access in everyday service encounters. People with disability are being encouraged to have a voice and people from different cultures are being encouraged to settle into Australian society, so it is essential to understand the everyday experience of communication access. This study has facilitated a more in–depth theoretical understanding of the multidimensional concept of communication access and the significant implications for well-being, social integration and social inclusion currently under recognised within government legislation.