Networks Of Capital

In one more example from The Wire, former police commander (and current field researcher) Bunny Colvin rewards three Baltimore middle school students with a fancy dinner. The scene paints a realistic picture of cultural capital at work. Check out this post at the Sociological Cinema for more on how to use this clip in class.

In another example of habitus, drug addict and police informant Bubbles gives fashion advice to Sydnor, an undercover police officer. Bubbles shows how the embodiment of a drug addict is something that is acquired through experience and is not something that can be easily faked. Note: Explicit Content.

Habitus is one of Pierre Bourdieu’s most influential—and difficult— concepts. In this scene from The Wire, police officers “Bunk” Moreland and Jimmy McNulty dissect a crime scene in a way that vividly illustrates a murder detective’s “feel for the game.” Note: Explicit Content.

This documentary about French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu provides an intimate and thoughtful look into his life as a scholar and public intellectual. More information can be found here.

Pierre Bourdieu’s theorization of cultural capital reminds us that capital is not only about how much wealth we own, but also about the symbolic worth we attach to particular things, people, and places. PBS’s excellent documentary film, People Like Us, illustrates in humorous and poignant fashion the cultural side of social class.

This striking film follows photographer Edward Burtynsky as he visits the darker side of global production and manufacturing, including giant factories and e-waste dumps in China. The visuals in this film are nothing short of extraordinary. You can watch clips of the film here.

A powerful documentary film about how global financial institutions and current policies surrounding globalization affect developing, post-colonial countries like Jamaica. To learn more about the film, go to its website.

This series of books, papers, lectures, and discussions from American Sociological Association president and Marxist scholar Erik Olin Wright examines his proposals for radical social change. Consider using it to inspire lively class discussion on the relevance of Marx today.

These two episodes of the radio program This American Life explore the origins of the housing crisis and a more fundamental question: what is money?

In this talk, Swiss doctor and statistician Hans Rosling discusses the many dimensions of development and its potential for some of the most impoverished countries. What might Marx or Wallerstein say in response?