Sayer, Richard Andrew (2017) Bourdieu : ally or foe of discourse analysis? In: Routledge handbook of language and politics :. Routledge Handbooks in Linguistics . Routledge, London. ISBN 9781138779167
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Abstract
Bourdieu has an interesting and potentially fruitful relation to discourse analysis, even though, or perhaps because, he demotes the role of discourse in social practice, is critical of discourse analysis, and is more interested in the power effects of discourse in particular contexts and instances than discourse as such. I shall explain the relevance of his work for understanding language and politics by introducing the main concepts through which he interprets practice: habitus, field, capitals, the scholastic fallacy and symbolic power. I end with a brief assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of his contribution.