Bourdieu's Field and the Sociology of Welfare

Abstract

Bourdieu conceptualises most aspects of social life in terms of fields, which constitute sites of struggle over a central stake. The resources which are used in these struggles, and whose appropriation is at stake, are defined as types of capital: economic, cultural, social and symbolic. Each field involves a set of players, of agents who are engaged in practices and strategies on the basis of an habitus. It is contended in this article that such an approach can be usefully mobilised to develop a sociological analysis of welfare. The model has to be slightly altered to make it more adequate for the study of the welfare field. First, what Bourdieu calls political capital is given a more prominent place. Secondly, the focus is more definitely set on the rates at which types of capital are converted in the welfare field. It is argued that such a model satisfies the central requirements of a sociology of welfare, in that it places welfare activities within the wider social context while grasping their internal dynamic. It provides an effective framework for addressing the main questions which are raised by a sociology of welfare.

Deafness, community and culture in Britain: leisure and cohesion 1945–1995

“…Deaf clubs afforded their members the means to gain 'social capital' (Peillon 1998), fostering and maintaining bonds, a sense of belonging and communal identity, as Deafness, Community and Culture in Britain sees it. The chief means of communication for these clubs was a series of newspapers culminating in British Deaf News, which was founded in 1955 when British Deaf Times and Deaf News merged.…”

Global Health as a Field of Power Relations: A Response to Recent Commentaries

“…And as Ruth Levine 8 also notes, these forms of capital are intertwined with another form-financial, or command over economic resources. The fourth form of capital-symbolic-is the least well-defined, but Peillon 18 suggests it can be understood roughly as legitimacy-the form capital takes when it is perceived as justly held. Many public struggles in global health concern who is right about what works for improving population health, and whose ethical principles are most valid for grounding decision-making and practice.…”

Persistent Poverty in the Netherlands : A sociological study

“…People in poverty can acquire and employ these resources in their efforts to secure future desires, in allowing them to gain advantage in society; capital simply yields power (cf. Peillon, 1998;p. 216;Young, 1999;p.…”

“…121). The theme of convertibility is frequently referred to, but never systematically elaborated (Peillon, 1998;p. 219).…”

“…Keiser et al, 2004). On the other hand, not only the welfare officials are afforded considerable discretion in meeting their roles and obligations, clients may well respond to "the practices of control through strategies of resistance or submission" (Peillon, 1998;p. 222).…”