Bourdieu Cultural Capital Theory

Since the 1960s', the contemporary society, especially the western capitalist society has undergone tremendous changes, and the new social features, which can be attributed to cultural issues, have emerged, including the role of science and technology more and more important, production and consumption of goods penetrating to the areas of daily life, the function and patterns of consumption changing and the growing commercialization of culture and so on. So, as to these new features and the role of culture in modern society, how do we regard? The late capitalist theory, post-industrial society theory, consumer society theory and cultural capital theory appeared on the basis of profound reflection about this problem. Among them, Bourdieu's cultural capital theory has distinct characteristics. This theory regards culture as a kind of capital, which is different from the social relations and economic power, and this capital has haven a "decisive" impact on social stability and political order. The school, as the primary field of cultural capital's reproduction, has become an important intermediary and field of the reproduction of class, and cultural capital has been the main instrument legitimizing the class domination. Cultural capital theory exposes deepening spirit control in the western capitalist society, and has a fierce criticism on capitalist culture. Basing on the inside of the advanced capitalist, this theory,with a unique perspective, has a more systematic explanation and disclosure about the rule conditions of the contemporary capitalism, which can help us understand and grasp the nature of the society and its new features, and has rather inspiration to our culture development. Therefore the study of this theory has an important value of theory and practice.Bourdieu's cultural capital theory has an important influence on the scholars from all countries, and they have an interpretation and research on this theory from different perspectives, and many theoretical results come out, which enhance the understanding of the theory, but some problems exist, which is not conducive to a correct realization of the content and significance of cultural capital theory. Adhering to the principle stand, viewpoint and method of Marxism, this paper has a more in-depth interpretation and research on the cultural capital theory, by reading lots of Bourdieu's works and using the methods of comparative study, theory with practice and contradictory analysis, in order to understand the connotation and significance of this theory comprehensively and correctly.There is a unique methodology in this theory, mainly including relationalism, reflective approach and generated structuralism and so on. But cultural capital theory is a theoretical system to be perfect, and you can't research it systematically and in-depth until its basic content and method be sorted out, analyzed and explained. The meaning of cultural capital, not an isolated category, must be study under the context composed of capital, field and habitus, so this paper has a specific analysis and interpretation on the concept, existing forms and reproduction process of cultural capital, and does a further study on the nature of class domination of the education system. The problem of the cultural capital's function (including economic, class distinction and symbolic violence function) and the mission of intellectuals is an important part of this theory. On the base of exploring the function of cultural capital, Bourdieu re-thinks and re-divides the social formation and makes a "freedom" scenario under the axis of cultural power, by "transforming" the content of Marxism historical materialism, and further investigates the historical mission of intellectuals-the producer and owner of cultural capital. In order to create a favorable conditions for research freely, it is necessary to establish reflective sociology and historicist rationalism.Cultural capital theory is of great significance:first, to deepen the study of capital and culture theory-which deepens and expands the two issues' connotation and extension; second, beyond the other three social theory, so its analysis on the status of modern capitalist society is more scientific and profound. Admittedly, cultural capital theory is flawed:first, the tendency of the pan-capitalized, which leads to neglect the specific historical conditions of cultural capital's emergence and development; second, to fail to understand the function of culture, which leads to emphasize on the function of domination excessively, ignoring the connection of cultural resistance, so it can't understand the class liberation function of culture.With a strong critical dimension, cultural capital theory discloses cultural control of the contemporary capitalist ruthlessly, but it can't find a realistic way to achieve freedom because of lacking of an analysis on the objectivity of the category of class, capital and truth by excessive emphasis on the constructivism. Therefore, the content of the cultural criticism has a strong color of "conservative revolutionary doctrine", and Bourdieu is a "conservation revolutionist".