Towards the Role of Self, Worth, and Feelings in (Re-)Producing Social Dominance: Explicating Pierre Bourdieu's Implicit Theory of Affect

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

In this theoretical article it is argued that Pierre Bourdieu’s Social Theory pro-vides us with a convincing account of how the subjectivated social actor, social evaluation procedures, and affective states are inherently intertwined. Therefore, it contains an implicit theory of affect offering not only a better understanding of the role affective states play within sociological theory building, but also in the (re-)production of social order, especially in terms of social inequality or social domination in (late) modernity. In doing so, it also illuminates processes of social transformation. A twofold analysis is provided: A reconstruction of Bourdieu’s perspective on the general structure of (late) modernity especially emphasizing his (late) modern anthropology, as well as an examination of his theoretical considerations of the habitus. As a result, on a social theoretical level, feelings, emotions, sensations, etc. appear as a specific, particularly naturalized evaluative social practice. On the level of societal analysis feeling appreciated as the result of practically referring appreciatively towards oneself emerges as the legitimate (late) modern subject structure.

Object Details

• Alternative title: Zur Rolle von Selbst, Wert und Gefühl im (Re-)Produktionsprozess sozialer Herrschaft: eine Explikation Pierre Bourdieus impliziter Affekttheorie
• ISSN: 0172-6404
• Extent: Seite(n): 75-92
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Historical Social Research, 42(4)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Soziologie, Anthropologie ; Allgemeine Soziologie, Makrosoziologie, spezielle Theorien und Schulen, Entwicklung und Geschichte der Soziologie ; soziologische Theorie ; Habitus ; soziale Herkunft ; Affektivität ; Sozialisation ; Theoriebildung ; Bourdieu, P. ; Subjekt ; soziale Ungleichheit

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Matthäus, Sandra
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Deutschland
• (when): 2017

Further information

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.42.2017.4.75-92
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-55206-4
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:26 PM CEST