Gender and Bourdieu, “Is doing gender unavoidable?” University of East London, 13 Decembre 2012

Forthcoming BSA Bourdieu Study Group event:  

Gender and Bourdieu, “Is doing gender unavoidable?”

Thursday 13th December 2012, School of Law and Social Science, University of East London

Bourdieu first entered the sociological discussion of gender relationships in the 1990s. In 1998 he published  La Domination masculine . Bourdieu argues that the relations between men and women are tied to masculine domination and that this masculine domination or habitus gives men and women a specific role in society.

Bourdieu’s work often causes divisions between feminists. Many argue that although he explored gender relations in his work he paid very little attention to feminist theory, focusing instead on gendering of taste or how structured sexual division of labour generates a sexually differentiated perspective on the world. However, others dispute this insisting that  his contribution has scarcely been recognized by feminists. They claim that one of Bourdieu’s most important insights is that gender is present in all social relationships.  Furthermore, Bourdieu’s work is valuable to feminist approaches because theoretical frameworks and political programmes are always embedded in social relations.

There has been a range of responses to Bourdieu from feminists and this event will aim to bring together different perspectives for discussion with key note speakers: Dr Catherine Hakim,  Dr Lisa Mckenzie and Professor Derek Robbins.

Dr Catherine Hakim is renowned for coining the term ‘erotic capital‘, referring to a person’s  combination of physical and social attractiveness and its power in all social interactions; in the workplace, politics and in public life generally, as well as in the invisible negotiations of private relationships. Her publication Honey-Money: The Power of Erotic Capital  has received large scale mainstream media attention. She has published extensively on changing patterns of employment, women’s employment and women’s position in society, occupational segregation and the pay gap. She sits on the Editorial Boards of several academic journals, including  the European Sociological Review and International Sociology

Dr Lisa Mckenzie’s research has focused upon class inequalities of men and women living on council estates within the UK, using a collaborative ethnographic approach whilst applying the work of Pierre Bourdieu, with particular influence relating to symbolic violence, capital exchange, and power relationships with neo-liberal structures. She currently holds an Early Years Leverhulme Research Fellowship at the University of Nottingham within the school of sociology and social policy. Her current research is a re-study of the 1970 Coates and Silburn St Anns ‘Poverty’ study, focusing upon the changing shapes of community, family, and belonging in contemporary Britain.

Prof Derek Robbins has long been one of the leading exponents of Pierre Bourdieu’s theories in the fields of sociology and is a favourite with the Bourdieu study group. He is Professor of International Social Theory at the University of East London, where he also is Director of the Group for the Study of International Social Science in the School of Law and Social Science. He is the editor of the four-volume collection of articles on Bourdieu in the Sage Masters of Contemporary Social Thought series (2000). His most recent publication: French Post-War Social Theory sets up a Bourdieusian investigation of the habitus of the five French social thinkers; Aron, Althusser, Foucault, Lyotard, Bourdieu.

As a study group, we’re always very interested in the new ways Bourdieu’s concepts can be applied and hope you will join us for what is likely to be a lively discussion.

The event will take place at the University of East London, Docklands Campus on Thursday 13^th December 2012.

More details including how to book for the event will be placed here shortly.

Timetable:

10-30-11.00: Registration and tea and coffee
11.00-12.15: Dr Catherine Hakim key note speech
12.15-13.15: Lunch
13.15-14.30: Dr Lisa Mckenzie key note speech
14.30-14.45: Refreshments
14.45-16.00: Prof. Derek Robbins Key note speech: “La domination masculine and social constructionism”.
16.00-17.00: Discussions with key note speakers
17.00-17.30: Wine reception.

Please note that our last study group event sold out with a few days. To avoid disappointment please book early. Click here to book your place.

BSA members £20.00

Non BSA members £30.00

(source: BSA Bourdieu Study Group)