Literary Sociology «Pierre Bourdieu 1930 – 2002 = French sociologist Literary Sociology «Economic capital = what you can spend Literary Sociology «Cultural capital = education, knowledge, cultural experience, etc. Literary Sociology «Social capital = social networks Literary Sociology «Distinction ! Economic, cultural and social capital => distinction Literary Sociology «Distinction ! Economic, cultural and social capital => distinction «Bourdieu, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. « Pierre Boudieu, La distinction : critique sociale du jugement (1979) Literary Sociology «Distinction ! Economic, cultural and social capital => distinction «The composition of capital is, according to Bourdieu, class-related Literary Sociology «Distinction ! Economic, cultural and social capital => distinction «Taste and cultural preferences are also class-related according to Bourdieu Literary Sociology «Symbolic capital = prestige, honour, recognition, etc. ! Not the same as economic, cultural or social capital ! The 3 of them can have symbolic value Literary Sociology «Video 1 http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=FBn28iNcpBA&NR=1 Literary Sociology «Video 1 The woman distinguishes herself by means of displaying her cultural capital => creates a boundary Literary Sociology «Video 1 The unequal distribution of cultural capital => reinforces and creates, according to Bourdieu, boundaries between social classes Literary Sociology «Video 2 http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=R8u7Ev52cX0&NR=1 Literary Sociology «Video 2 Cultural capital & economic capital are interrelated Literary Sociology «Video 2 Cultural capital & economic capital are interrelated «Thanks to economic capital => acquire cultural capital «Thanks to cultural capital => acquire economic capital Literary Sociology «Video 2 Thanks to their economic capital, the rock star and the tycoon can acquire cultural capital (and, of course, symbolic capital!) Literary Sociology «Video 3 http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=ND7UgjXHenY Literary Sociology «Video 3 Social capital! ~ economic capital ~ cultural capital ~ symbolic capital Literary Sociology «Video 3 “Groups create powerful art” Literary Sociology «Video 3 “Groups create powerful art” e.g.: artists, fans, collectors, critics, academics, etc. Literary Sociology «Video 3 “Groups create powerful art” = e.g.: artists, fans, collectors, critics, academics, etc. In the literary field? Literary Sociology e.g. writers, readers, literary critics, academics, librarians, etc. Literary Sociology e.g. writers, readers, literary critics, academics, librarians, etc. ! They are all actors on the literary field! Literary Sociology e.g. writers, readers, literary critics, academics, librarians,etc. ! They are all actors on the literary field! ! These individual “actors” operate in specific institutions [=>] Literary Sociology e.g. writers, readers, literary critics, academics, librarians,etc. ! They are all actors on the literary field! ! These individual “actors” operate in specific institutions [=>] ! All are interrelated Literary Sociology «cf. Video 3 Is this cultural object valuable? Is it good or bad? What is the meaning the author or the artwork conveys? Or what do I personally think about it? Literary Sociology «cf. Video 3 Is this cultural object valuable? Is it good or bad? What is the meaning the author or the artwork conveys? Or what do I personally think about it? Literary Sociology ! (Literary) sociologists try not to evaluate cultural objects Literary Sociology ! The cultural objects themselves are not their subject of research Literary Sociology ! Their subject of research is the behaviour of people evaluating cultural objects Literary Sociology => There is a fundamental difference between literary sociology and what is generally referred to as literary theory Literary Sociology = The object Literary Sociology = The object The literary text vs. The behaviour of actors in the literary field [Literary Sociology] Literary Sociology = The object The literary text vs. The behaviour of actors in the literary field [Literary Sociology] External factors! Literary Sociology = The questions Literary Sociology = The questions What is the meaning the author wants to convey? What is the meaning the text conveys? [Structuralism] What is the meaning I (as a reader) see in the text? [Postmodernism] vs. Literary Sociology Literary Sociology = The questions vs. Literary Sociology: how do actors on the literary field [< groups < institutions] influence the material and symbolic production of books? Literary Sociology Material production: the process leading to the material production of books Literary Sociology Material production: the process leading to the material production of books e.g. printing process, distribution, sales, etc. Literary Sociology Symbolic production: all statements about books & authors The “image” of the book Literary Sociology Symbolic production: all statements about books & authors e.g. on the back of a book, by reviewers, academics, by the author himself, etc. Literary Sociology Material & symbolic production are related! There is a mutual influence Literary Sociology = The method Structuralism, postmodernism, etc.: analyzing texts, interpretation Literary Sociology = The method Literary sociology: often large corpora of data, assembled & analized systematically Not interpreting texts, but interpreting data! Literary Sociology Literary sociology in Belgium and the Netherlands «Hugo Verdaasdonk & Kees van Rees! «Even though the text-oriented approach and the sociological approach are incompatible, some postmodernists try to integrate literary sociology in their research Literary Sociology Literary sociology ! Different approaches Literary Sociology e.g. writers, readers, literary critics, academics, librarians,etc. ! They are all actors on the literary field! ! These individual “actors” operate in specific institutions Literary Sociology institutions Literary Sociology institutions «University «Library «Book store «Publishing house «Literary criticism « … Literary Sociology Literary criticism has a huge influence on the canonization of books Literary Sociology Literary criticism has a huge influence on the canonization of books canonization = the process by which a book becomes a masterpiece [= is considered as such] Literary Sociology «How does a book become a masterpiece? [Van Rees] Literary Sociology « How does a book become a masterpiece? • Reviews in newspapers => • Essays in literary magazines => • Articles and dissertations => masterpiece Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology Literary Sociology