Postponed profit: an essential concept of Bourdieu’s sociology of literature

Abstract

With The rules of art: genesis and structure of the literary field (Les règles de l’art: genèse et structure du champ littéraire), Bourdieu revolutionizes the Sociology of Literature and instills it with new vigor. Unlike the deep erudition and intense philosophical hue of works of the “Frankfurt School”, he focuses on the objectivity of empirical analysis. Which, in this case, does not mean superficiality: after a description of the facts, Bourdieu undertakes a thorough analysis of all forces operating on agents of the literary field. This article discusses one of the main elements of the French sociologist’s book: postponed profit and the pursuit of prestige.