The space of sports and distinction

Habitus, capital, distinction and the space of sports: why each social milieu has its sports.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Habitus: what is it?
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A set of lasting dispositions, acquired through socialisation, that shape tastes and practices.
It explains why people feel "at home" in certain sports.
Tennis became popular in the 1980s; part of the elite moved to golf. Which concept?
- Distinction
- Self-restraint
- Anomie
- Quest for excitement
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Distinction
A practice loses its distinctive value as it spreads.
Economic capital: what is it?
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The financial and material resources of an individual or a family.
It opens access to costly sports: golf, riding, sailing.
Why does a sport's cost not fully explain who plays it?
- Sporting tastes are innate, independent of milieu
- Public subsidies make every sport affordable
- The relationship to the body and tastes inherited from one's milieu also matter
- Physical aptitude alone decides which sport one plays
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The relationship to the body and tastes inherited from one's milieu also matter
Cultural capital and habitus guide as much as money.
Cultural capital: what is it?
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The knowledge, qualifications and manners society values.
It leads towards practices seen as refined or outdoor.