1st Edition

Practising the Symbolic Pierre Bourdieu's Contribution

By Sheena Jain Copyright 2023

    A powerful theory of the symbolic embedded within a remarkable and original theory of practice is a nodal aspect of the work of Pierre Bourdieu, who was a leading social thinker of our times (1930-2002). Against the backdrop of the significance of symbolic practice in social life, this book explains the intellectual warp and woof of his theory of the symbolic; presents a brief excursus that explores its potential to illuminate social contexts other than those in which it was conceived; examines its links with Bourdieu's role of social critic and public intellectual; and engages critically with scholarly assessments of his contribution. The book thus seeks to provide a comprehensive and in depth analysis and understanding of a central dimension of Bourdieu's work.

    Preface

    1. Introduction

    2. Bourdieu’s Theory of the Symbolic: Traditions and Innovations

    3. The Symbolic in Relation to Practice, Habitus, and Capital

    4. The Symbolic in Relation to Fields and the Notion of an Economy of Practice

    5. An Empirical Exemplification: The Shah Bano Case

    6. Critique of Neoliberalism: Bourdieu in Practice

    7. Conclusion

    Biography

    Sheena Jain is a Professor of Sociology at the Deparment of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She commenced her research work on Pierre Bourdieu's social theory in 1987 as a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Cambridge, UK.