Jenn Webb & Tony Schirato 
Understanding Bourdieu [PDF ebook] 

‘Bourdieu′s work is formidable – the journey is tough. Follow this French foreign legion – take an apple, take a hanky – but take this book’.


- Peter Beilharz , La Trobe University



 ’A good range of recent examples from popular culture are used to flesh out the material in accessible terms. These examples are deployed very well indeed – rather than being tacked-on illustrations of an idea, they are instead used at the heart of the explanation of the ideas’.


 - David Gauntlett, Leeds University



Now considered one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, Pierre Bourdieu has left his mark on most of the ′big′ theoretical issues in the world of contemporary theory: gender, subjectivity, the body, culture, citizenship, and globalization. His terms are now commonplace: ′social capital′, ′cultural capital′, ′field′, and ′habitus′.



Bourdieu examines how people conduct their lives in relation to one another and to major social institutions. He argues that culture and education aren′t simply minor influences, but as important as economics in determining differences between groups of people. Unlike the other grand systematisers Marx and Foucault, Bourdieu has tested these arguments in detailed fieldwork. His range is eclectic, his vision is vast, and his writing is often dense and challenging.




Understanding Bourdieu offers a comprehensive introduction to Bourdieu′s work. It is essential reading for anyone tackling him for the first time.

Table of Content

Contexts and Approaches

Cultural Field and the Habitus

Theorizing Practice

Bourdieu′s Sociology

Government and Bureaucracy

Bourdieu and Secondary Schools

Bourdieu and Higher Education

The Field of Cultural Production

Art and Artists

Journalism and Television

About the author

Dr Geoff Danaher taught in the STEPS bridging program at CQUniversity. He has researched in areas such as cultural studies, education for travellers, comedy and gender and sport.