Abstract

CRUZ RODRIGUEZ, Michael. Understanding Bourdieu: social capitalization strategies. Rev. colomb. soc. [online]. 2018, vol.41, n.2, pp.219-237. ISSN 0120-159X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rcs.v41n2.67294.

The article shows that the concept of social capitalization strategies allows for a greater understanding of the theory of social fields developed by Pierre Bourdieu. The first section provides a synthesis of the main concepts, guided by the principle of charitable interpretation: social field, habitus, social capital, social reproduction strategies. On this basis, we discuss three critiques to that theory: its "domino-centrism", the limitations of the notion of social field, and the alleged determinism of habitus. We also make a couple of observations regarding these critiques: the importance of maintaining a normative perspective of liberation and of distinguishing degrees of social agents' belonging to the field. The second section introduces the theoretical conditions of possibility of the concept of social capitalization strategies: a) the multiple ways in which agents belong to social fields, b) the relation of interpénétration among capitals of different fields, and c) the process of accumulation of capital. Thus, social capitalization strategies are defined as the interventions of a dominant social agent (and its capital) in a field -to which it belongs to a lesser extent- from which it extracts enough returns to be able to vie for symbolic power within the field and even try to change its rules of operation. The proposed concept functions as an explanatory principle for the relations between dominant agents and social fields, a matter which Bourdieu did not delve into with clarity, in order to understand the dynamics of domination. Finally, the article describes the articulation of social capitalization strategies with the field of power, that space in which dominant agents and capitals vie for the general definition of the nomos of social space, thus instrumentalizing the State. The final part includes the example of courts of justice in order to illustrate the manner in which social strategies of capitalization work.

Keywords : Bourdieu; courts of justice; habitus; social field; social strategies; State; symbolic domination.

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