With reference to Bourdieu's theory of distinction and other Essay

With reference to Bourdieu's theory of distinction and other relevant theorists on social class, give a detailed example of how a specific habitus shapes consumer behaviour - Essay Example In this status hierarchy a person develops his/her social class. With reference to 1960s -70s France; Pierre Bourdieu has analysed the society in great detail. He worked on how the knowledge and usage of different cultural relics have shaped over time. In addition to this he also examined how people develop certain taste for food, clothing, music and their overall lifestyle. Bourdieu also studied the uncountable struggles between various classes and the emergence of their fragmentation in today’s capitalist society. He taught people how to alter their perceptions and expectations when they are at a stage of the hierarchy and at the same time he provided options to people to compete for the class position they desire (Bourdieu, 1984). Some of the concepts explained by Bourdieu are clarified in the following section. â€Å"The projection of capital on to a particular axis with an aim to create a constant, linear and homogenous series which helps in identifying the social hierarchy involves a tough operation. In doing this, various types of capital are brought down to one single standard. This theoretical phenomenon has an objective foundation; exchange rates differ according to the power relation amongst the owners of the capital (Giddens, 1994). There is a prerequisite for reducing the spaces between the capital to one dimension, however, if someone willingly converts the capital, the creation of a two-dimensional space clarifies that the importance of exchange rates. Therefore, Bourdieu has extended the phenomenon of capital on the basis of an underlying idea in which capital is converted in normal sense. Although Bourdieu has not explicitly spelled out the foundation of different types of capitals and their conversion rates; they can be deduced by further researches. Capital is capable of bu ilding a relation between two people in a particular social space, but this principle does not necessarily create an absolute order of the society, along