Material resources - money, property, investments, stocks shares etc. Symbolic resource or power - accumulated prestige and honour exemplified by qualifications, titles, honorary positions, books. Symbolic power also inherent in certain buildings, works of art etc and can be embodied - gender, height, body size and shape, clothing, gestures, posture, speech.
Are material and symbolic power so different or does one lead to the other and vice versa?
Male domination is so rooted in our collective unconscious that we no longer even see it.
Pierre Bourdieu, 1930-2002
I have to agree with Mr. Bourdieu - certain groups are immune to seeing the privileges they hold just by virtue of being a part of a certain group. White, male, heterosexual... the list is endless.
ReplyDeleteNot only members of that group but others too don't recognise privilege. A few years ago the BBC did a poll to create the 100 greatest Britons list - 13 women made the list and most of them royalty. Not a black person in sight.
DeleteAlthough it is not "normal" that everyone has equal rights to obtain power or authority, the social climate is changing for the better I think
ReplyDeleteI hope so. Pessimism of the intellect (noticing unfairness) combined with optimism of the will (the belief that things can and should be better but not without collective effort)
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