Bourdieu, capital and class Gerry Veenstra Dept of Anthropology and Sociology University of British Columbia Gerry Veenstra Dept of Anthropology and Sociology University of British Columbia

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Classical Marxist thought : - the realm of economic practices (especially relationship to the mode of production) represents the base of society, the place from which all else is conditioned and shaped - the realm of culture in particular is contained in the superstructure of society, conditioned and shaped by the economic base Pierre Bourdieu’s framework: - economic practices and symbolic/cultural practices are on the same level, perhaps equally influential

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Working definition of culture : - “That entire range of institutions, artefacts and practices that make up our symbolic universe. In one or other of its meanings, the tem will thus embrace: art and religion, science and sport, education and leisure. By convention, however, it does not embrace the range of activities normally deemed either ‘economic’ or ‘political’” (Milner and Browitt 2002) Role of culture: - cultural tastes are socially constructed, and the social space of tastes and dispositions manifests inequality between the elite and lesser groups/classes

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Capitals : - capitals are forms of power in social life - economic capital is deemed equal to personal wealth - cultural capital encompasses three dimensions: (i) personal educational credentials and experiences (educational capital) that facilitate the accumulation of cultural tastes (ii) social background, whereby cultural tastes are passed down through socialization from parents’ own educational experiences (iii) the cultural tastes and dispositions themselves - social capital is “the aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition - or in other words to membership of a group”

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Social space : - focuses on the defining principles of economic capital and educational capital on the one hand and cultural tastes and dispositions on the other (together determining the character of the social space) - agents are distributed in the overall social space, in the first dimension, according to the overall volume of capital they possess (sum of economic and educational capital); in the second dimension, according to the relative weight of the different species of capital

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Social space : - social space “is constructed in such a way that the closer the agents, groups or institutions which are situated within this space, the more common properties they have; and the more distant, the fewer” (i.e. spatial distances coincide with social distances) Social classes in social space: - a social class refers to “a group of social agents who share the same social conditions of existence, interests, social experience, and value system, and who tend to define themselves in relation to other groups of agents” (Laberge and Kay 2002)

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Social space and physical space : - with respect to social space, “spatial differences – on paper – coincide with social distances. Such is not the case in real space. It is true that one can observe almost everywhere a tendency toward spatial segregation, people who are close together in social space tending to find themselves, by choice or by necessity, close to one another in geographic space; nevertheless, people who are very distant from each other in social space can encounter one another and interact, if only briefly and intermittently, in physical space.”

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Habitus: - “It is through the dynamic mediation of habitus, an embodied internalized system of schemes of dispositions, perceptions and appreciation, that positions in the social space are ‘translated’ into practices and preferences.. Habitus, on the one hand, is shaped by living conditions characteristic of a social position and, on the other hand, operates as a ‘matrix’, or generating principle, of classifiable practices and judgements of taste.. Yet habitus is not only an internalization of the social conditions into dispositions; it [is..] simultaneously a generating principle of practices expressed in ‘taste’.. Social agents acquire a system of dispositions that leads them to act and react in a manner proper to his/her social group.. The different habitus cannot easily be identified” (Laberge and Kay 2002)

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Habitus : - “systems of durable, transposable dispositions, structured structures predisposed to operate as structuring structures, that is, as principles which generate and organize practices and representations that can be objectively adapted to their outcomes without presupposing a conscious aiming at ends or an express mastery of the conditions necessary in order to attain them.”

Bourdieu’s theoretical framework Fields : - “As a ‘working definition’, a field in Bourdieu’s work refers mainly to arenas of production, circulation, and appropriation of goods, services, knowledge, or status centred on a particular issue (e.g., literature, art, educational system, sport), and the network (or configuration) of historical relations of power between positions held by individuals, social groups or institutions” (Laberge and Kay 2002).

Total volume capital 2D social space in British Columbia

3D social space in British Columbia

Bourdieu, capital and class The End

A visual rendering of social structure

INCOME PER CAPITA (1991 international dollars) LIFE EXPECTANCY (years) National wealth and life expectancy

National income inequality and life expectancy Life expectancy at birth (M & F combined, 1981) % of total post-tax & benefit income received by the least well-off 70% of families

Explanations for relationship between income inequality and health A. Reflects income-health relationship among individuals B. Psycho-social ramifications C. Related ecological processes

Social capital: definitions Bourdieu’s: The aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition - or in other words to membership of a group. Coleman’s: Social capital is defined by its function. It is not a single entity but a variety of different entities, with two elements in common: they all consist of some aspect of social structures, and they facilitate certain actions of actors - whether persons or corporate actors - within the structure.

Social capital: definitions Lin’s: Social capital can be defined as resources embedded in social structure which are accessed and mobilized in purposive actions. The notion of social capital contains three ingredients: resources embedded in a social structure; accessibility to such resources by individuals; and use or mobilization of such resources by individuals in purposive actions.

Wilkinson’s: The social nature of public life, dominated by peoples involvement in the social, ethical and human life of the society, rather than being abandoned to market values and transactions. People come together to pursue and contribute to broader, shared social purposes. Social capital: definitions Lynch & Kaplan’s: The stock of investments, resources and networks that produce social cohesion, trust and a willingness to engage in community activities.

Description of a social capital? a) the social structure of interest; b) the attributes of said social structure that can serve as a certain kind of resource; c) the individuals or groups who can access the resource; d) the individuals or groups who do access the resource; e) the actions enacted via utilization of the resource; f) and the ends facilitated.

Compositional effects of social capital on health: friendship social relationships social support anxiety / angst / stress

Evidence for compositional effects: Participation in the public space and mental health status in Australia (Baum et al) No relationship between participation in a voluntary association and self-rated health status in Scotland (Ellaway and Macintyre) and in Saskatchewan (Veenstra) Lavis and Stoddart found that trust was related to self-rated health status in Canada; not so in Saskatchewan, however (Veenstra)

Contextual effects of social capital on health: Performance of political institutions Character of welfare-state Economic development and growth Schisms in deep structure (e.g. class, race, ethnicity, gender, religion) Health related behaviors, social control Violent crime Psycho-social attributes (e.g. trust)

Evidence for contextual effects: Social capital (trust, participation in clubs) and mortality among US states (Kawachi et al., Putnam) Social capital (trust, participation in clubs) and self- rated health status among the US states (Kawachi et al) and among postcode sectors in Scotland (Ellaway and Macintyre) Social capital (density of clubs, participation in clubs, voting) and mortality among health districts in Saskatchewan (Veenstra) Social capital (volunteering) and binge drinking among US colleges (Weitzman and Kawachi)