+1 862 207 3288
Readings: Tearing Down the Gates, Peter Sacks
“Pierre Bourdieu: Cultural Capital and Habitus,” Jay MacLeod
Assignment Overview
Pierre Bourdieu is a leading theorist in the topic of “social reproduction,” a theory that argues that social institutions perpetuate inequalities in society because their structures reward those whose backgrounds most align with the values of the institutions themselves. Bourdieu argues that people’s habitus (habits they have been socialized to believe are natural and comfortable) give them cultural capital (resources they inherit and use as they enter the larger world), which then results in success or failure in established institutions.
Topic
For this essay assignment, analyze Tearing Down the Gatesin terms of Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction. Then using the same model of habitus, cultural capital, and their relationship to social institutions, analyze your own life experiences in terms of the connection between your childhood and your school experiences.
Drafting Process
To get started, reflect on the following questions about the readings:
o What are the four main points of Bourdieu’s theory?
o How does each point relate to a specific argument from Sacks’s book? Cite examples from at least 3 different chapters in the book.
Then ask the same questions of yourself. How do the four points of Bourdieu’s theory relate to you and your educational experiences? What cultural capital did you receive from the habitus in your home, and how did this cultural capital help/hinder you when you got to school?
Writing Guidelines
4-5 pages, typed, double-spaced, MLA format
A clear thesis that guides the organizational structure of the essay
Analysis of how Bourdieu’s theory is present in the text (use examples from 3 different chapters) (about 40% of the essay)
Analysis of your personal experiences using Bourdieu’s model (about 40% of the essay
Discussion of the implications of your thesis. So what? Why does this topic matter? (about 20% of the essay)
Works Cited page
