ENGLISH

Social Movements and Symbolic Power: Radicalism, Reform, and the Trial of Democracy in France

By John Girling

Book information

Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
Year
2004
ISBN
1403933790
LCC
HN430 .G57 2004
Open Library ID
OL22579300M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
540 kB (552823 bytes)
Pages
381\181
Time added
2011-06-04 13:46:07

Description

The important theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Alain Touraine, discussed in this book, seek to explain and resolve the "crisis of democracy." They start from a critique of structural inequality in political, economic and social fields - so much in contrast to democratic principles. But their theoretical perspectives and social conclusions diverge. Bourdieu insists on the radical overthrow of dominant institutions and their control of knowledge ("symbolic power"). Touraine advocates reformist cooperation as well as contestation between social movements and political institutions. Their different approaches provide compelling insights into the "democratic deficit" of modern society, that is, inability to overcome the widespread discrimination affecting women, the weaknesses of the environmental movement, persisting educational inequalities and the precarious nature of work in a global economy.

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