The metamorphoses of cultural capital in a neoliberal and multicultural era: Towards a comparative approach

Abstract

This review essay of Fields, Capitals, Habitus first discusses how this in-depth inquiry into the lifestyles and cultural practices in Australia contributes to the rich discussions sparked by the publication and translation of Bourdieu's Distinction. It then turns to research directions that this survey opens up, especially in comparative perspective, in the context of neoliberalism and multiculturalism. One of these directions is to study the rise of Indigenous capital. A second is to compare the way that transnational, Indigenous and migrant cultures challenge the national habitus. A third invites researchers to compare more systematically gendered practices across fields and countries, a study that should be supplemented by the impact of the feminisation of cultural intermediaries.