Critique of Bourdieu - reference to taste & popular culture
Pierre Bourdieu's work in the field of Cultural Studies has long been considered an important reference point for anyone wishing to explore the world of fan culture. The Marxist perspective that Bourdieu employed in his writing meant that he considered the dynamics of culture by looking at the class system and also by thinking in economic terms. Marxism emphasises that differences of class and wealth determine the values and beliefs that people hold and these were two main factors Bourdieu used when examining the behaviour of individuals within society. He compared the types of skills and knowledge that people acquire throughout their life to the assets (or capital) owned by business enterprises. Matt Hills (2002) explores Bourdieu's work in the world of fan culture and notes that he divides he types of 'capital' that people are able to gain in a variety of different ways. Hills explains this using the definitions given by Gershuny: "[the behaviour] of the individual is determined by the nature and location of their 'human capital' ... perhaps economic ... or perhaps 'social capital' (i.e. a personal network of friends and acquaintances), or 'cultural capital' (the general information about cultural artefacts absorbed as a by-
One of Thornton's most useful points concerns Bourdieu's neglect of the media in his work, implying that the media play either a passive or an inactive role in the circulation of cultural capital. product of daily life), or else 'educational capital' acquired through schooling. The dominated bourgeoisie, whilst not quite so well off financially, would argue that they actually have higher levels of cultural capital than their superiors because they view the dominant bourgeoisie as "vulgar and lacking in cultural discrimination" (2002: 47). He goes further by suggesting that many people are not even aware that they have become fans: "The various forms of popular culture appeal to the audience's most debased needs and desires, making them even more passive, more ignorant and non-critical than they apparently already are. Following on from this, Hills describes the way in which Bourdieu might imagine a young person trying to decide which subculture or fan group to join, based on the potential returns in terms of cultural capital:"Proto-fans, fans in the making, are therefore represented as committed utilitarians, assessing the options that are open to them before deciding where to their time and energy in order to reap certain rewards" (2002: 55). However, Hills criticises Thornton for neglecting the moral dualism that is embedded in her work. Hills goes on to state that within an organized fan group, the social capital of a member is closely linked to their cultural capital and that each is dependent on the other, to a certain extent. Fans are simply incapable of recognizing that the culture they enjoy is actually being used to dupe and exploit them" (1992: 51). This can be disproved quite simply, we merely have to consider the power that is wielded by television and radio executives when they come to decide which types of culture are worthy of coverage at the expense of others. Starting at the top, Bourdieu asserts that the dominant bourgeoisie have high amounts of cultural capital as well as educational and social capital. This represents "both a form of recognition (fame, accumulated prestige) and the specific legitimation of other conjunctions of capital [economic, cultural and social capitals]" Hills 2002: 57). Fiske seems determined to define it as something that is, in a sense, more important than economic capital: "Fiske's cleavage of popular cultural capital and economic capital also appears to defend some imagined 'pure' use-value against the predatory iniquities of 'exchange-value'" (2002: 52). This, according to Hills, "privileges cultural capital, suggesting that it is automatically a source of cultural legitimation" (2002: 49). Symbolic capital is the ultimate recognition for members of a fan group, as it is only when it is bestowed that a fan knows they are thought of as an authority on the object of their fandom. Fans with particularly high levels of cultural capital often gain equally high levels of social capital through their role as "executive fans" (Tulloch in Tulloch and Jenkins 1995: 149, cited in Hills 2002: 57), who often play important parts in fan clubs, such as president or secretary.
Common topics in this essay:
Matt Hills,
Fiske's Thornton's,
Fiske Thornton,
John Fiske's,
Sarah Thornton,
Bourdieu Jenkins,
Lawrence Grossberg,
Cultural Studies,
Whilst Hills,
Tulloch Jenkins,
cultural capital,
social capital,
popular cultural capital,
popular cultural,
hills 2002,
moral dualism,
levels cultural capital,
levels cultural,
dominant bourgeoisie,
petit bourgeois class,
hills fault bourdieu's,
hills fault,
fault bourdieu's,
bourdieu's theories,
amounts cultural capital,
|
Acceptance Essays
