TASA 2008 SESSION 17: Social Networks Workshop
“Operationalising Bourdieu: Putting Theory into
Practice”
A workshop for the exploration and uses of of Bourdieu's theoretical and
empirical approaches within an Antipodean sociology
Chairs: Stephen McTaggart, Michael Stevens & Bertalan Magyar
PhD Candidates, Dept of Sociology, The University of Auckland
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S1
Bourdieu Workshop structure
• Introductions
• Michael, Stephen and Bertalan outline their work
(5 minutes each)
• Suggested topics for discussion from attendees
• Roundtable discussion
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S2
The Transmission and Reproduction of
Positions of Potential Capital Advantage
within the site(s)/fields of mate selection
Stephen McTaggart
PhD Candidate
University of Auckland
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S3
Theory, Hypotheses and Empirical
investigation
– Bourdieu’s biological structuralism/ habitus/group habitus/homologies
and the field
– Hypotheses
• Reproduction, and transmission of persistent class
inequalities/stratification from differences found and marked in social
interaction of actors/groups of actors.Relationships and social actions
reflect, differentiate and renew class positions
– Testable through observations of movements in social space.
• Differences for (and between);
• Single occupational groups
• Clusters of particular occupational groups
• Men and women
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S4
The transmission and reproduction of positions of potential
capital advantage within the site(s)/fields of mate selection
Stephen McTaggart
Meta-Meso-Micro approaches
Meta (theory)
Bourdieu after Weber,
Saussure
Habitus, Capitals& Field
Meso (theory)
Homophily
Homogomy
Differential association
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
Micro
Empirical investigation of
mate selection using
correspondence analysis
Social interaction scale
S5
Marriage, stratification,
homophily and the Habitus:
Structural
influences
Transmission (and reproduction?)
of positions of potential
advantage within the
Site (s) of mate selection
Homophily
Proximity
Predisposition/schema
to action
influenced by the field
Delaying
Marriage
Winnowing
Marriage
strategies
Internal predispositions
strategies
toward homophily
in many dimensions
Group
Habitus
Individual
habitus
Matching of
characteristics
closest
to another
in social space
Mate selection
Marriage/
Cohabitation
Social setting
Geography
Similar agents in family,
neighbourhood,
schools, venues
Influenced by (class)
positions
in social space
Propinquity
Influence of Group
(direct and indirect)
In ideal mates’ characteristics
and
arrangement of introductions
Marriage market
Group size
Ratio
males/ females
Gender
Occupational
market
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S6
Empirical investigation of social
interaction/mate selection
Data
• National-level data (NZ Household censuses) for a
20 year period (1981-1986-1991-1996-2001)
Variables
• male and female cohabitating partners occupational
categories
Analysis
• Correspondence analysis: a relational and social
distance model for categorical data
Outcomes
• Gendered (twin) social interaction scale (Camsis)
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S7
Social interaction : 1981–1991–2001 Censuses:
Observing Homologies of lifestyles?
2001
1991
NZSCO99 category by Gender
1981
NZSCO90 category by Gender
NZSCO68 category by Gender
1
1
0.6
0.3
4
7
0.0
-0.3
-0.6
3
2
-1.0
3
4
0.5
4
0.0
9
8
2
5
7 5
3
7
5 5
Dimension 2
1
1
0.9
Dimension 2
Dimension 2
1.0
4
7
8
-0.5
8
5
1
0.5
0
0
9
77
3
0.0
8
-0.5
9
5
8
2
9
3
9
1
9
3
2
8
2
-1.0
4
4
2
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
-1.0
-0.5
Dimension 1
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
Dimension 1
Dimension 1
Major_1
Major_2
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Conclusions
•
Examination of social interaction/differential association/Homogamy in NZ over
20 year period (1981–2001) using Census marriage data
•
Using Weberian Social closure/Bourdieu’s habitus/field/multiple capital
approach to social stratification/social interaction
•
Using correspondence analysis/NZ census data
– Five different levels of analysis
– Allows for Optimum level of detail
•
Early Findings
– 1981, 1991, 1996,1996 and 2001 data indicate relative social closeness
between couples with similar occupations
– Ranking of degrees of closeness is roughly comparable to existing ranking
within NZSCO occupational schemas
•
Creation of a New Zealand Social Interaction Scale (NZCAMSIS)
•
Inevitability of stratification through homophily/homogamy and the
habitus/group habitus?
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S9
Operationalising Bourdieu & HIV Research
Michael Stevens
PhD Candidate
University of Auckland
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S10
The Problem
– Recent epidemiological trends indicate spikes in new
seroconversions after a period of levelling in the early 1990s, and
new infections have been noted among those who were, at the time
of their infections, well aware of HIV transmission risks.
– This is a puzzling reality with which to grapple. One can certainly
understand how a 20-year-old gay man became infected in 1981
when no one was aware that the virus even existed, but what is the
explanation of the 20-year-old who seroconverts in 2001?
– If we posit that the majority of new infections among gay men in our
country are the result of unprotected sexual intercourse –
condomless sex – then why does this phenomenon continue to exist
if gay men are well aware that such behaviour places their health at
risk? (Shernoff 2006)
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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The Central Question
• These trends seem true in NZ, Australia, the USA,
the UK, Canada, Europe
• Is this symptomatic of a larger cultural shift in our
world and the understandings and social location of
gay men and MSM?
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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As a researcher
• Rich qualitative data
• The need for a robust yet flexible theoretical lens to
interpret it
• Bourdieu meets these requirements
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Applying Bourdieu
–Doxa
–Field
–Habitus
–Capital
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Doxa
– How does thinking in terms of doxa help explain
social changes?
– Older doxa one based in communal
understandings of what being a gay man is
– This doxa challenged and superseded by neoliberal doxa
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Habitus
– The shift to a neo-liberal doxa also has an effect
on habitus
– The development of a neo-liberal habitus affects
MSM behaviour with regard to HIV in very
important ways
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Theoretical Scheme
HABITUS
capital
FIELD
capital
DOXA
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S17
Academic and social impact of university on
students’ network formations and job
outcomes
Bertalan Magyar
PhD Candidate
University of Auckland
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S18
Academic and social impact of university on
students’ network formations and job
outcomes
Homophily, habitus, capitals, and fields in higher educational
research
– early-stage work in progress
Research topics:
• How academic and social integration facilitate student persistence
• The way SES and cultural background affect group formation
• Challenges of international students’ social integration to university life
• Capture Higher Education as Field; its dynamics, borders, and subfields
• Micro-Capitals in multiple dimensions between “players”
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Key theoretical concepts utilized in current
research
Bourdieu’s terms and definitions
• guiding tools, to be conceptualized/operationalized in actual social context
• allow flexible use of them that fits to do “relational sociology”
“Middle range theory” (Merton 1968) – “Metatheoretical notions” (Brubaker 2004)
Homophily:
Latent hierarchy between multiple dimensions where homophily is
the driving factor of acts; alternative motivations of connections
Habitus:
Individual and group; its origin, dynamics and transformation; its
limitation
Capitals:
Benefit of being in central positions in various student-networks
(network capital ?), “conversion rate” of capitals
Fields:
Higher Education as “meso-field”, university as social space;
perimeters, subfields
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Methodology
Target population:
Graduating students across faculties at the University of Auckland
Data collection:
1st round (March-May, 2009): survey (n=500+) and interviews (50+)
2nd round (April-May, 2010): interviews (50+) – “ex-students” at work
Variables:
• SES, NZ/Auckland embeddedness, near-future plans about jobs
• Networks (type, size, type of ties) – limited Social Network Analysis
• Cultural tastes/preferences (music); leisure time
• Satisfaction with student experience (academic + social dimensions)
• Modified social distancing scale (Bogardus) to make it fit to this study
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
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Issues/Limitations
Expected degree of visibility of concepts extracted throughout the study:
more
→
→
less
Specific:
homophily → capital
→
habitus
→
field
General:
survey
ethnographic study/observation/interviews
1. Survey: Bourdieu’s terms’ limited direct applicability
• sample: not representative → size, ratio (gender/faculty/ethnicity etc.)
• depth of analysis; responder-honesty; “variable-softness” (network items)
2. Interviews: interviewer bias, responder-availability, time gap (2nd round)
Alternative theoretical concepts:
- Undergraduate student socialization model (Weidman 1987)
- Reference group theory (Astin 1993; Kuh 1995; Antonio 2004)
- Propensity to Connect with Others, PCO (Totterdel 2008)
- Cultural theory and art classification system (DiMaggio 1987, 1997)
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S22
Conclusions
Bourdieu’s concepts:
• Offer flexible frameworks throughout research (pros & cons)
• Might be easier to operationalize on the micro level in current study
• May be utilized in qualitative studies more directly than in quantitative ones
Extending Bourdieu with Social Network Analysis (SNA):
•Homophily: SNA may reveal a hierarchy between homophily-driven preferences
•Habitus: Network dynamics may affect habitus “transformation”
•Capital: SNA may reveal channels of capital conversion
•Field: SNA may help separating active ties from passive membership within fields
© Department of Sociology, The University of Auckland
S23