Paper #2: Bourdieu Analysis on the Reproduction of Class Inequality in the US
This paper requires you to apply Pierre Bourdieu’s theory to how class inequalities are reproduced in the US. There are two articles in your reader, pgs. 301-322, from William Domhoff and from Peter Cookson & Caroline Persell, that detail the various ways that the upper class in the US maintain and reproduce their position in society. You are to use these articles to illustrate Bourdieu’s theories on how your social location is connected to your habitus and the distribution of different forms of capital in society. You CANNOT use any outside sources for this paper. You must only use your texts from this class, lecture notes and these two articles for this paper. This paper is comprised of two sections:
Part 1: Broad Summary of Bourdieu’s Theory: After a brief introduction where you give the reader a sense of how you are going to analyze the selections on class in the US, I want you to give a broad summary of Bourdieu’s general theory on society. Be sure to explain and define in detail the connections between his major concepts, the field, habitus and the various forms of capital. Be sure to also discuss how the structure of social space can be affected by relations of power. This section should be 1 ½ to 2 ½ pages in length.
Part 2: Bourdieuan Analysis of the Upper Class: In the second half of your paper, I want you to use information from the two articles to illustrate Bourdieu’s theory. Both articles are filled with multiple examples that can be used to further illustrate the specific ways that an upper class habitus is produced and its connection to the unequal distribution of economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital in the United States. Discuss also how these inequalities reproduce and maintain the position of the upper class, and more broadly class inequality, in this society and how this connects to the structure of power in the US. This section should be 1 ½ to 2 ½ pages in length.
Your paper should be no more than 1,500 words (approx. 5 pages, 12-point font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins and double-spaced). Please make sure to include your paper’s word count somewhere on the first page of your paper. While your grade will be based primarily on your content and the strength of your analysis, organization and grammar will also be part of your grade.
Be sure to cite all the sources you use [parenthetical documentation is perhaps easiest and should include author’s last name and page number from the original text, i.e. (Domhoff 156) or for lecture (Barnes 2024). I consider plagiarism (any unattributed borrowing of another’s words or ideas) to be a very serious academic offense. Any plagiarism will result in an automatic “F” for the paper, so make sure you cite all your sources for both paraphrasing and quotes. Any use of sources other than course material or the attached articles will also result in an automatic “F” for this paper. There is no need to submit a works cited page at the end of your paper.
The two articles will be attached as pdf in files.
