Class Boundaries in Europe: The Bourdieusian Approach in Perspective

Drawing inspiration from Pierre Bourdieu’s social space theory, this book provides an unprecedent overview of class relations, covering topics such as class polarisation, cultural reproduction, political orientations, and globalisation.

The book applies Bourdieusian social space approach to show how class boundaries have been maintained or transformed in different European countries. Based on quantiative data, it proposes a renewal of the analysis of distances, divides, and relations of domination between social classes, documenting objective and symbolic boundaries that form the basis of individuals’ living and working conditions in 11 European countries.

Focusing on transformations of wealth inequalities, education strategies, and European labour markets, the book examines the role of cultural, economic and social capital. It will be of interest to students and scholars across the social sciences, in particular to those studying social and wealth inequalities in a comparative perspective and Master’s students in European studies.

Cédric Hugrée is Research Fellow at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) within the Centre de recherche en sociologie et sciences politiques de Paris (CRESPPA, Paris 8/CNRS). His work focuses on higher education inequalities in France and class inequalities in Europe. His recently published title is Social Class in Europe (2020).

Étienne Penissat is Research Fellow at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) currently associated with the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and the École Normale Supérieure. His research focuses on social class, social categorisations, and workers’ collective action in France and Europe. His recently published title is Social Class in Europe (2020).

Alexis Spire is Research Director at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), currently associated with the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. His research focuses on the transformation of the state, on consent to taxation and on inequalities in France and in Europe. His recently published title is Social Class in Europe (2020).

Johs. Hjellbrekke is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bergen. His recent work focuses on social classes, elites, social mobility, research ethics, and geometric data analysis. His publications include Multiple Correspondence Analysis for the Social Sciences (2018).