Pierre Bourdieu and Cultural Theory: Critical Investigations

by Bridget Fowler

This is the first comprehensive description of Pierre Bourdieu′s theory of culture and habitus. Within the wider intellectual context of Bourdieu′s work, this book provides a systematic reading of his assessment of the role of `cultural capital′ in the production and consumption of symbolic goods. Bridget Fowler outlines the key critical debates that inform Bourdieu′s work. She introduces his recent treatment of the rules of art, explains the importance of his concept of capital - economic and social, symbolic and cultural - and defines such key terms as habitus, practice and strategy, legitimate culture, popular art and distinction. The book focuses particularly on Bourdieu′s account of the nature of capit

Genres: Sociology

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Zachary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an odd book. Fowler is clearly a devotee of Bourdieu, and thus she spends most of the book "introducing" major themes of Bourdieu's writings and then responding to his critics. This leaves the book with little internal cohesion (as Fowler then adds her own critiques to Bourdieu's cultural theory.... but it's okay because her critiques are correct and everyone else who's ever discussed Bourdieu is not). This book also tries to be an introduction to Bourdieu's cultural theory and an expansion and development of the same... however, it honestly fails at nearly every turn in both areas.

It's still helpful in ways, but I found reading Bourdieu himself to be far more lucid, clear, and interesting than Fowler's portrayal of him. Is there really no better choice for an intro to him?