bourdieu distinction intro

7/29/2019 Bourdieu Distinction Intro

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PierreBourdieuDistinction:ASocialCritiqueoftheJudgmentofTaste.London:Routledge,1979;Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,1984.(FirstFrenchedition,LaDistinction,critiquesocialedujugement,Paris:Minuit,1979.)Excerpt:Introduction

Yousaidit,mygoodknight!Thereoughttobelawstoprotectthebodyofacquiredknowledge.Takeoneofourgoodpupils,forexample:modestanddiligent,fromhisearliestgrammarclasseshe'skeptalittlenotebookfullofphrases.Afterhangingonthelipsofhisteachersfortwentyyears,he'smanagedtobuildupanintellectualstockintrade;doesn'titbelongtohimasifitwereahouse,ormoney?

PaulClaudel,Lesoulierdesatin,Day111,SceneiiThereisaneconomyofculturalgoods,butithasaspecificlogic.Sociologyendeavours

toestablish

the

conditions

in

which

the

consumers

of

cultural

goods,

and

their

taste

for

them,

areproduced,andatthesametimetodescribethedifferentwaysofappropriatingsuchof

theseobjectsasareregardedataparticularmomentasworksofart,andthesocialconditions

oftheconstitutionofthemodeofappropriationthatisconsideredlegitimate.Butonecannot

fullyunderstandculturalpracticesunless'culture',intherestricted,normativesenseofordinary

usage,isbroughtbackinto'culture''intheanthropologicalsense,andtheelaboratedtastefor

themostrefinedobjectsisreconnectedwiththeelementarytastefortheflavoursoffood.

Whereastheideologyofcharismaregardstasteinlegitimatecultureasagiftofnature,

scientificobservationshowsthatculturalneedsaretheproductofupbringingandeducation:

surveysestablishthatallculturalpractices(museumvisits,concertgoing,readingetc.),and

preferencesin

literature,

painting

or

music,

are

closely

linked

to

educational

level

(measured

by

qualificationsorlengthofschooling)andsecondarilytosocialorigin.'Therelativeweightof

homebackgroundandofformaleducation(theeffectivenessanddurationofwhichareclosely

dependentonsocialorigin)variesaccordingtotheextenttowhichthedifferentcultural

practicesarerecognizedandtaughtbytheeducationalsystem,andtheinfluenceofsocialorigin

isstrongestotherthingsbeingequalin'extracurricular'andavantgardeculture.Tothesocially

recognizedhierarchyofthearts,andwithineachofthem,ofgenres,schoolsorperiods,

correspondsasocialhierarchyoftheconsumers.Thispredisposestastestofunctionasmarkers

of'crass'.Themannerinwhichculturehasbeenacquiredlivesoninthemannerofusingit:the

importanceattachedtomannerscanbeunderstoodonceitisseenthatitisthese

imponderablesofpracticewhichdistinguishthedifferentandrankedmodesofculture

acquisition,earlyorlate,domesticorscholastic,andtheclassesofindividualswhichthey

characterize(suchas'pedants'andmondains).Culturealsohasitstitlesofnobilityawardedby

theeducationalsystemanditspedigrees,measuredbyseniorityinadmissiontothenobility.

Thedefinitionofculturalnobilityisthestakeinastrugglewhichhasgoneon

unceasingly,fromtheseventeenthcenturytothepresentdaybetweengroupsdifferingintheir

ideasofcultureandofthelegitimaterelationtocultureandtoworksofart,andtherefore

differingintheconditionsofacquisitionofwhichthesedispositionsaretheproduct.Eveninthe

classroom,thedominantdefinitionofthelegitimatewayofappropriatingcultureandworksof

artfavoursthosewhohavehadearlyaccesstolegitimateculture,inaculturedhousehold,


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outsideofscholasticdisciplines,sinceevenwithintheeducationalsystemitdevaluesscholarly

knowledgeandinterpretationas'scholastic'oreven'pedantic'infavourofdirectexperience

andsimpledelight.

Thelogicofwhatissometimescalled,intypically'pedantic'language,the'reading'ofa

workofart,offersanobjectivebasisforthisopposition.Consumptionis,inthiscase,astageina

processofcommunication,thatisanactofdeciphering,decoding,whichpresupposespractical

orexplicitmasteryofacipherorcode.Inasense,onecansaythatthecapacitytosee(voir)isa

functionoftheknowledge(savoir),orconcepts,thatis,thewords,thatareavailabletoname

visiblethings,andwhichare,asitwere,programmesforperception.Aworkofarthasmeaning

andinterestonlyforsomeonewhopossessestheculturalcompetence,thatis,thecode,into

whichitisencoded.Theconsciousorunconsciousimplementationofexplicitorimplicit

schemesofperceptionandappreciationwhichconstitutespictorialormusicalcultureisthe

hiddenconditionforrecognizingthestylescharacteristicofaperiod,aschooloranauthor,and,

moregenerally,forthefamiliaritywiththeinternallogicofworksthataestheticenjoyment

presupposes.Abeholderwholacksthespecificcodefeelslostinachaosofsoundsandrhythms,

coloursandlines,withoutrhymeorreason.Nothavinglearnttoadopttheadequatedisposition,

hestops

short

at

what

Erwin

Panofsky

calls

the

'sensible

properties',

perceiving

askin

as

downy

orlaceworkasdelicate,orattheemotionalresonancesarousedbytheseproperties,referring

to'austere'coloursora'joyful'melody.Hecannotmovefromthe'primarystratumofthe

meaningwecangrasponthebasisofourordinaryexperience'tothe'stratumofsecondary

meanings',i.e.,the'levelofthemeaningofwhatissignified'unlesshepossessestheconcepts

whichgobeyondthesensiblepropertiesandwhichidentifythespecificallystylisticpropertiesof

thework.Thustheencounterwithaworkofartisnot'loveatfirstsight'asisgenerally

supposed,andtheactofempathy,Einfuhlung,whichistheartlover'spleasure,presupposesan

actofcognition,adecodingoperation,whichimpliestheimplementationofacognitive

acquirement,aculturalcode.

This

typically

intellectualist

theory

of

artistic

perception

directly

contradicts

the

experienceoftheartloversclosesttothelegitimatedefinition;acquisitionoflegitimateculture

byinsensiblefamiliarizationwithinthefamilycircletendstofavouranenchantedexperienceof

culturewhichimpliesforgettingtheacquisition.The'eye'isaproductofhistoryreproducedby

education.Thisistrueofthemodeofartisticperceptionnowacceptedaslegitimate,thatis,the

aestheticdisposition,thecapacitytoconsiderinandforthemselves,asformratherthan

function,notonlytheworksdesignatedforsuchapprehension,i.e.,legitimateworksofart,but

everythingintheworld,includingculturalobjectswhicharenotyetconsecratedsuchas,atone

time,primitivearts,or,nowadays,popularphotographyorkitschandnaturalobjects.The'pure'

gazeisahistoricalinventionlinkedtotheemergenceofanautonomousfieldofartistic

production,thatis,afieldcapableofimposingitsownnormsonboththeproductionandthe

consumptionofitsproducts.Anartwhich,likeallPostImpressionistpainting,istheproductof

anartistic

intention

which

asserts

the

primacy

of

the

mode

of

representation

over

the

object

of

representationdemandscategoricallyanattentiontoformwhichpreviousartonlydemanded

conditionally.

Thepureintentionoftheartististhatofaproducerwhoaimstobeautonomous,that

is,entirelythemasterofhisproduct,whotendstorejectnotonlythe'programmes'imposeda

prioribyscholarsandscribes,butalsofollowingtheoldhierarchyofdoingandsayingthe

interpretationssuperimposedaposterior)onhiswork.Theproductionofan'openwork',

intrinsicallyanddeliberatelypolysemic,canthusbeunderstoodasthefinalstageinthe


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conquestofartisticautonomybypoetsand,followingintheirfootsteps,bypainters,whohad

longbeenreliantonwritersandtheirworkof'showing'and'illustrating'.Toassertthe

autonomyofproductionistogiveprimacytothatofwhichtheartistismaster,i.e.,form,

manner,style,ratherthanthe'subject',theexternalreferent,whichinvolvessubordinationto

functionsevenifonlythemostelementaryone,thatofrepresenting,signifying,saying

something.Italsomeansarefusaltorecognizeanynecessityotherthanthatinscribedinthe

specifictraditionoftheartisticdisciplineinquestion:theshiftfromanartwhichimitatesnature

toanartwhichimitatesart,derivingfromitsownhistorytheexclusivesourceofitsexperiments

andevenofitsbreakswithtradition.Anartwhicheverincreasinglycontainsreferencetoits

ownhistorydemandstobeperceivedhistorically;itaskstobereferrednottoanexternal

referent,therepresentedordesignated'reality',buttotheuniverseofpastandpresentworks

ofart.Likeartisticproduction,inthatitisgeneratedinafield,aestheticperceptionis

necessarilyhistoricalinasmuchasitisdifferential,relational,attentivetothedeviations(ecarts)

whichmakestyles.Likethesocallednaivepainterwho,operatingoutsidethefieldandits

specifictraditionsremainsexternaltothehistoryofart,the'naive'spectatorcannotattaina

specificgraspofworksofartwhichonlyhavemeaningorvalueinrelationtothespecifichistory

ofanartistictradition.Theaestheticdispositiondemandedbytheproductsofahighly

autonomousfield

of

production

is

inseparable

from

aspecific

cultural

competence.

This

historicalculturefunctionsasaprincipleofpertinencewhichenablesonetoidentify,amongthe

elementsofferedtothegaze,allthedistinctivefeaturesandonlythese,byreferringthem,

consciouslyorunconsciously,totheuniverseofpossiblealternatives.Thismasteryis,forthe

mostpart,acquiredsimplybycontactwithworksofartthatis,throughanimplicitlearning

analogoustothatwhichmakesitpossibletorecognizefamiliarfaceswithoutexplicitrulesor

criteriaandit,generallyremainsatapracticallevel:itiswhatmakesitpossibletoidentify

styles,i.e.,modesofexpressioncharacteristicofaperiod,acivilizationoraschool,without

havingtodistinguishclearlyorstateexplicitly,thefeatureswhichconstitutetheiroriginality.

Everythingseemstosuggestthatevenamongprofessionalvalues,thecriteriawhichdefinethe

stylisticpropertiesofthe'typicalworks'onwhichalltheirjudgmentsarebasedusuallyremain

implicit.

Thepuregazeimpliesabreakwiththeordinaryattitudetowardstheworld,which,

giventheconditionsinwhichitisperformed,isalsoasocialseparation.OrtegayGassetcanbe

believedwhenheattributestomodernartasystematicrefusalofallthatis'human',i.e.,

generic,commonasopposedtodistinctive,ordistinguishednamely,thepassions,emotions

andfeelingswhich'ordinary'peopleinvestintheir'ordinary'lives.Itisasifthe'popular

aesthetic'(thequotationmarksaretheretoindicatethatthisisanaesthetic'initself'not'for

itself')werebasedontheaffirmationofthecontinuitybetweenartandlife,whichimpliesthe

subordinationofformtofunction.Thisisseenclearlyintheeaseofthenovelandespeciallythe

theaterwheretheworkingclassaudiencerefusesanysortofformalexperimentationandallthe

effectswhich,byintroducingadistancefromtheacceptedconventions(asregardsscenery,plot

etc.),tend

to

distance

the

spectator,

preventing

him

from

getting

involved

and

fully

identifying

withthecharacters

(IamthinkingofBrechtian'alienation'orthedisruptionofplotinthenouveauroman).In

contrasttodetachmentanddisinterestednesswhichaesthetictheoryregardsastheonlywayof

recognizingtheworkofartforwhatitis,i.e.,autonomous,selbstandig,the'popularaesthetic'ignoresorrefusestherefusalof'facile'involvementand'vulgar'enjoyment,arefusalwhichis

thebasisofthetasteforformalexperiment.Andpopularjudgementsofpaintingsor

photographsspringfroman'aesthetic'(infeetitisanethos)whichistheexactoppositeofthe

Kantianaesthetic.Whereas,inordertograspthespecificityoftheaestheticjudgement,Kant


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strovetodistinguishthatwhichpleasesfromthatwhichgratifiesand,moregenerally,to

distinguishdisinterestedness,thesoleguarantorofthespecificallyaestheticqualityof

contemplation,fromtheinterestofreasonwhichdefinestheGood,workingclasspeopleexpect

everyimagetoexplicitlyperformafunction,ifonlythatofasign,andtheirjudgementsmake

reference,oftenexplicitly,tothenormsofmoralityoragreeableness.Whetherrejectingor

praising,theirappreciationalwayshasanethicalbasis.

Populartasteappliestheschemesoftheethos,whichpertainintheordinary

circumstancesoflife,tolegitimateworksofart,andsoperformsasystematicreductionofthe

thingsofarttothethingsoflife.Theveryseriousness(ornaively)whichthistasteinvestsin

fictionsandrepresentationsdemonstratesacontrariothatpuretasteperformsasuspensionof'naive'involvementwhichisonedimensionofa'quasiludic'relationshipwiththenecessitiesof

theworld.Intellectualscouldbesaidtobelieveintherepresentationliterature,theatre,

paintingmorethaninthethingsrepresented,whereasthepeoplechieflyexpect

representationsandtheconventionswhichgovernthemtoallowthemtobelieve'naively'inthe

thingsrepresented.Thepureaestheticisrootedinanethic,orrather,anethosofelective

distancefromthenecessitiesofthenaturalandsocialworld,whichmaytaketheformofmoral

agnosticism(visible

when

ethical

transgression

becomes

an

artistic

partipris)orofan

aestheticismwhichpresentstheaestheticdispositionasauniversallyvalidprincipleandtakes

thebourgeoisdenialofthesocialworldtoitslimit.Thedetachmentofthepuregazecannotbe

dissociatedfromageneraldispositiontowardstheworldwhichistheparadoxicalproductof

conditioningbynegativeeconomicnecessitiesalifeofeasethattendstoinduceanactive

distancefromnecessity.

Althoughartobviouslyoffersthegreatestscopetotheaestheticdisposition,thereisno

areaofpracticeinwhichtheaimofpurifying,refiningandsublimatingprimaryneedsand

impulsescannotassertitselfnoareainwhichthestylizationoflife,thatis,theprimacyofforms

overfunction,ofmannerovermatter,doesnotproducethesameeffects.Andnothingismore

distinctive,

more

distinguished,

than

the

capacity

to

confer

aesthetic

status

on

objects

that

are

banaloreven'common'(becausethe'common'peoplemakethemtheirown,especiallyfor

aestheticpurposes),ortheabilitytoapplytheprinciplesofa'pure'aesthetictothemost

everydaychoicesofeverydaylife,e.g.,incooking,clothingordecoration,completelyreversing

thepopulardispositionwhichannexesaestheticstoethics.

Infact,throughtheeconomicandsocialconditionswhichtheypresuppose,the

differentwaysofrelatingtorealitiesandfictions,ofbelievinginfictionsandtherealitiesthey

simulate,withmoreorlessdistanceanddetachment,areverycloselylinkedtothedifferent

possiblepositionsinsocialspaceand,consequently,boundupwiththesystemsofdispositions

(habitus)characteristicofthedifferentclassesandclassfractions.Tasteclassifies,andit

classifiestheclassifier.Socialsubjects,classifiedbytheirclassifications,distinguishthemselves

bythe

distinctions

they

make,

between

the

beautiful

and

the

ugly,

the

distinguished

and

the

vulgar,inwhichtheirpositionintheobjectiveclassificationsisexpressedorbetrayed.And

statisticalanalysisdoesindeedshowthatoppositionssimilarinstructuretothosefoundin

culturalpracticesalsoappearineatinghabits.Theantithesisbetweenquantityandquality,

substanceandform,correspondstotheoppositionlinkedtodifferentdistancesfromnecessity

betweenthetasteofnecessity,whichfavoursthemost'filling'andmosteconomicalfoods,and

thetasteoflibertyorluxurywhichshiftstheemphasistothemanner(ofpresenting,serving,

eatingetc.)andtendstousestylizedformstodenyfunction.


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Thescienceoftasteandofculturalconsumptionbeginswithatransgressionthatisin

nowayaesthetic:ithastoabolishthesacredfrontierwhichmakeslegitimatecultureaseparate

universe,inordertodiscovertheintelligiblerelationswhichuniteapparentlyincommensurable

'choices',suchaspreferencesinmusicandfood,paintingandsport,literatureandhairstyle.This

barbarousreintegrationofaestheticconsumptionintotheworldofordinaryconsumption

abolishestheopposition,whichhasbeenthebasisofhighaestheticssinceKant,betweenthe

'tasteofsense'andthe'tasteofreflection',andbetweenfacilepleasure,pleasurereducedtoa

pleasureofthesenses,andpurepleasure,pleasurepurifiedofpleasure,whichispredisposedto

becomeasymbolofmoralexcellenceandameasureofthecapacityforsublimationwhich

definesthetrulyhumanman.Theculturewhichresultsfromthismagicaldivisionissacred.

Culturalconsecrationdoesindeedconferontheobjects,personsandsituationsittouches,a

sortofontologicalpromotionakintoatransubstantiation.Proofenoughofthisisfoundinthe

twofollowingquotations,whichmightalmosthavebeenwrittenforthedelightofthe

sociologist:

'Whatstruckmemostisthis:nothingcouldheobsceneonthestageofourpremier

theatre,andtheballerinasoftheOpera,evenasnakeddancers,sylphs,spritesor

Bacchae,retain

an

inviolable

purity.'

'Thereareobscenepostures:thestimulatedintercoursewhichoffendstheeye.Clearly,

itisimpossibletoapprove,althoughtheinterpolationofsuchgesturesindanceroutines

doesgivethemasymbolicandaestheticqualitywhichisabsentfromtheintimate

scenesthecinemadailyflauntsbeforeitsspectators'eyes...Asforthenudescene,

whatcanonesay,exceptthatitisbriefandtheatricallynotveryeffective?Iwillnotsay

itischasteorinnocent,fornothingcommercialcanbesodescribed.Letussayitisnot

shocking,andthatthechiefobjectionisthatitservesasaboxofficegimmick....InHair,

thenakednessfailstobesymbolic.'

The

denial

of

lower,

coarse,

vulgar,

venal,

servile

in

a

word,

natural

enjoyment,

which

constitutesthesacredsphereofculture,impliesanaffirmationofthesuperiorityofthosewho

canbesatisfiedwiththesublimated,refined,disinterested,gratuitous,distinguishedpleasures

foreverclosedtotheprofane.Thatiswhyartandculturalconsumptionarepredisposed,

consciouslyanddeliberatelyornot,tofulfillasocialfunctionoflegitimatingsocialdifferences.

bourdieu distinction intro

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