Difference Between Durkheim And Bourdieu

Durkheim and Bourdieu Throughout time there have been a great number of influential sociologists, but Emile Durkheim and Pierre Bourdieu are considered two of the founders of modern sociology. While the two are known for different things, Durkheim for social facts and Bourdieu for the explanation of social classes, both sociologist’s work come together to explain the relationships between people and the society they live in. One of the most well-known concepts of Emile Durkheim is the idea of a social fact. By definition, a social fact “consists of manners of acting, thinking and feeling external to the individual, which are invested with a coercive power by virtue of which they exercise control over him”, or in other words, the beliefs, …show more content…
He explains that differences in class not only depend on economic factors, but also differences in symbolic attributes. According to Bourdieu, there are three different types of capital: economic, social, and cultural. Economic capital is the command over economic resources, such as cash and assets. If a family is wealthy, the children will benefit from this in many ways including access to prestigious schools and reliable healthcare. Social capital includes resources based on group membership, relationships, networks, acquaintances, and recognition. Members of the middle and upper classes have an advantage over lower classes citizens because they naturally have more social standing. When children are born into wealthy families, the parents are often very involved in some sort of organization or the community, increasing connections for the child. A common example of social capital is college students joining fraternities and sororities. When a college student joins one of these organizations, it gives them access to an abundance of resources and often allows them to create a network that will benefit them once graduation rolls around. Not only do the members make important connections with people that have the potential help them in the future, they are constantly exposed to a successful environment. Compared to the average college student who is not in one of those organizations, fraternities and sororities have a great advantage all because they are a group with a lot of credential. Finally, cultural capital is known as forms of knowledge, skills, education, and advantages that give higher status in society. Often parents provide their children with cultural capital, allowing them to thrive and be successful in their lives. An example of cultural capital would be the knowledge of how dropping classes works in college. Children of