Bringing Bourdieu’s master concepts into organizational analysis

Abstract

This article argues that while elements of Pierre Bourdieu's sociology are increasingly employed in American sociology, it is rare to find all three of Bourdieu's master concepts-habitus, capital, and field-incorporated into a single study. Moreover, these concepts are seldom deployed within a relational perspective that was fundamental to Bourdieu's thinking. The article "Bourdieu and Organizational Analysis" by Mustafa Emirbayer and Victoria Johnson is a welcomed exception, for it draws on all three of Bourdieu's pillar concepts to propose a relational approach to the study of organizations. It both reframes existing thinking about organizations, particularly from the neo-institutional and resource dependence schools, and indicates new directions for research in organizations to move. This paper evaluates their contribution calling attention to its many strengths and suggesting a few points that need future clarification and elaboration.

Bourdieuian approaches to the geography of entrepreneurial cultures

“…This is related to a larger movement towards the study of social context amongst managements scholars and builds on previous work integrating Bourdieu into organizational and management studies (e.g. Gorton, 2000;Emir Bayer and Johnson, 2008;Swartz, 2008;Vaughanm 2008). This literature has two major themes: a practice-based approach (Terjesen and Elam, 2009) and an interest in how legitimacy is constructed within fields (Elam, 2008;de Clercq and Voronov, 2009a;de Clerq and Voronov, 2011;de Clerq and Hoing, 2011).…”

“…Through their habitus, actors generate an understanding of what the rules of the field, they and develop an implicit knowledge of how those rules apply to them given their status or position within the field. The habitus is best understood as the internalization of the rules, structures, and hierarchies of a field as well as a simultaneous knowledge of one's position within the field (Swartz, 1997). These understandings help actors determine not only what their goals are as well as the practices they will use to achieve them.…”

Stigma i internasjonal politikk: Norge, EU og søken etter «det normale» i en post-sovjetisk sikkerhetskontekst

“…Denne analysen vil trekke veksler på det som har blitt hevdet å vaere Bourdieus tre mest sentrale begreper: felt, symbolmakt og habitus (Swartz 2008). Videre er det noe spesielt med Norges rolle innenfor Europas grenser, men utenfor EU som tilsier en spesiell status i analysen.…”

EU Civil Society

“…In recent years, there have been some attempts at combining organisational field theory with Bourdieu's sociological account on fields (Emirbayer and Johnson, 2008;Swartz, 2008;Vaughan, 2008). An important contribution to this debate is Fligstein and McAdam's model, Strategic Action Fields (SAFs) McAdam, 2011, 2012).…”