Sociolotical Analysis of Fashion

According to many such as Reed-Danahay, Pierre Bourdieu, a French sociologist of the 20th century is recognized as being among the most instrumental sociologists of our epoch. According to Bourdieu, one’s existence is not merely to exist but in reality is to find existence within a social context in order to find recognition. According to Bourdieu, individuals strengthen and reproduce their social status within a specific class through the use of cultural and social capital. Social capital is defined as one’s association with important connections or involvement within society whereas cultural capital is outlined as an individual’s level of knowledge, experiences and education. He argues that social capital and cultural capital is equally essential to that of economic capital which can be used to separate themselves from certain castes. Bourdieu uses the notion of habitus, a system of flexible behaviors which are rooted within individuals through their socialization which has the ability to influence ones decision making. These concepts bring us to Bourdieu’s theory of ‘fields’ which are the several spaces where levels of social status are organized and reproduced through different forms of capital. One’s level of status within a field is dependent upon the amount of capital they own. Bourdieu’s theories exist in various societies and have become essential in exposing once social status within the world of fashion.

London Fashion Week which is viewed as an essential event on the British calendar successfully examines Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital and fields within the field of fashion. There are various rules and limitation which are set for those entering the boundaries of the fashion show and only key people who are m...

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...cognition in a system of members owning economic, cultural and social capital. The pressure to look good and to fit in with a specific group continues from those who are teenagers to those who are much older. “Accardo (Accardo, 1997), drawing on the work of Bourdieu, notes, to have a distinct existence means not only to exist physically but also socially, ‘which means for others, to be recognized by others, to acquire importance, visibility’ as cited by (Entwistle, J and Rocamora, A, 2006, p. 743).

Thus, Bourdieu’s theory is still useful for thinking about fashion today.

Bibliography

Accardo, A., 1997. Introduction à une Sociologie Critique. Paris: Le Mascaret. Quoted by Entwistle, J and Rocamora, A, 2006. The Field of Fashion Materialized: A Study of London Fashion Week. London: Sage.

Khan , N., 2000. Catwalk Politics: Fashion Culture. London : Routledge .