Summary
Summary Thompson - Studies in the Theory of Ideology (notes)
- Module
- Sociological Theory
- Institution
- Oxford University (OX)
Notes on Thompson's 'Studies in the Theory of Ideology'
[Show more]
Content preview
Chapter Two - Symbolic Violence: Language and power in the writings of Pierre BourdieuReproduction of legitimate language
● Bourdieu attacks the separation of language from the social conditions of its production
○ to practice this separation is ‘tacitly to accept the official definition of the
official language of a political unit’
■ so linguistic practices represent power structures
○ we must reconstruct the historical process by which a unified and
asymmetrically structures linguistic market was formed
● In France, this process began with the promotion of the Ile de France dialect to the status
of official language
○ this gave the bourgeoisie de facto monopoly over the political apparatus
and central power
○ this was pushed forwards by the educational system, which came to be
seen as the principal means of access to the labour market
○ this leads to symbolic domination, where those dominated apply the
dominant criteria of evaluation to their own practices
■ i.e. judge their shortcomings in terms of their position in
the language market etc.
Power and the performative utterance
● Speakers do not just acquire linguistic competence, whereby they can use grammar
correctly
○ the also acquire practical competence, whereby they can produce the
appropriate sentence
○ philosophers (e.g. Chomsky) who hold the former doctrine neglect the
social conditions for the establishment of communication
■ in some situations certain individuals or groups of
individuals, are effectively excluded from communication - there are relations of
force here
● Utterances such as ‘I do’ and ‘I name this ship the Queen Elizabeth’ Bourdieu calls
performative utterances
○ the efficacy of performative utterances cannot be separated from the
institution which defines the conditions to be fulfilled for the utterance to be effective
■ there must be authority, or symbolic capital, behind the
statement
● Authority comes from outside language, so we must examine the structures and
properties of the linguistic markets within which expressions are exchanged
Linguistic Markets
● Linguistic markets (in which expressions are exchanged) have certain structures
○ these markets are the site of struggles between entrants, who seek to alter
its structure in their favour, and established agents/groups, who seek to preserve the order
○ hence the structure of the market is a certain state of the relation of force
between the agents/groups engaged in struggle
● There are different markets to represent different kinds of capital - symbolic, economic,
cultural etc
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller patrickfleming. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
72042 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now
