SOC461 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Jeff Koons, Class Field Theory, Ideal Type
13 Dec 2016
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Soc 461 – Oct 18, 2016 : Bourdieu 2
• Attack on the Kantian claim that when we judge art we are judging it in terms of beauty on a
universal terms.
• Bourdieu says that taste is closely aligned with class distinction, etc.
• Over the years Bourdieu becomes a bit more positive about the role of art and autonomy of it,
and art as a force for change.
1.When a Wall St. Trader turns artist
• Jeff Koons (b.1955) is one of the most prominent and divisive figurines in contemporary art. His
work splits critics but sells for vast sums.
1a. The Purity of art
Art for arts sake> Slogan adopted by French writer Gautier to demand that art should be above petty
commercial concerns.
• Bourdieu otes artists strog elief i the autoo of art, partiularl aogst the ost
pure artistis.
1b. Im not like that
Rationality> Defining one thing, position in society in terms of its relation to/differences from others
rather tha iterall. Usuall i ters of opposites.
• Through strongly Weberian, Bourdieu shows influence of Marx in emphasis on relationality:
analogous to Marxist method of defining classes as opposite positions in a structure.
• Thus, no social agent can be defined in isolation:
o We at sipl hae a islated ideal tpe of a aker, ad eplai ho the aker
behaves, without also saying what that banker is distinguished from as its opposite.
• Society as a whole can be understood through these sets of relations: Structures are the pairing
up of positions defined in opposition to one another.
• Our definition of an artist is the understanding of what it stands against.
o The way that people in societies take up positions against one another.
1.c Taking to the field
Field> Overall set of structure activities within society, governed by principles of hierarchization specific
to that field.
o Position: Place within a field often defiend by ccess to specific forms of capital dominant
in it.
o Position-taking: An individuals choice of position, and their public demonstration of
occupying it.
o Habitus: The habits, attitudes, knowledge of rules et that allos us to take positios.
• Sets of relational stuctures produce a field in which humans act.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Jeff koons (b. 1955) is one of the most prominent and divisive figurines in contemporary art. His work splits critics but sells for vast sums. Art for arts sake> slogan adopted by french writer gautier to demand that art should be above petty commercial concerns: bourdieu (cid:374)otes artist(cid:859)s stro(cid:374)g (cid:271)elief i(cid:374) the auto(cid:374)o(cid:373)(cid:455) of art, parti(cid:272)ularl(cid:455) a(cid:373)o(cid:374)gst the (cid:373)ost (cid:858)pure(cid:859) artistis. Rationality> defining one thing, position in society in terms of its relation to/differences from others rather tha(cid:374) (cid:858)i(cid:374)ter(cid:374)all(cid:455)(cid:859). Pri(cid:374)(cid:272)iple of hierar(cid:272)hizatio(cid:374)> basi(cid:272) pri(cid:374)(cid:272)iple (cid:271)(cid:455) (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h people u(cid:374)dersta(cid:374)d (cid:271)(cid:455) their (cid:858)ra(cid:374)k(cid:859) i(cid:374) a(cid:374)(cid:455) gi(cid:448)e(cid:374) field. Commodity fetishism> marxist term, describing capitalist prioritization of exchange value (abstract, numerical) over use value (concrete, particular) of an object. Definition by opposition (cid:858)the e(cid:272)o(cid:374)o(cid:373)i(cid:272) (cid:449)orld re(cid:448)ersed(cid:859) > bourdieu(cid:859)s phrase to des(cid:272)ri(cid:271)e artisti(cid:272) field(cid:859)s self-image as the antithesis of the economic: it is against profit, money, power.
