Free at the Point of Interest
Bourdieu puzzled by a letter from Godard.
Sociology is a Martial Art
Pierre Carles, France 2002 146 mins
An afternoon’s screening and discussion looking at class and culture. Taking the work of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu as our starting point we will look at the discreet social rules that govern the cultural arena, what purpose they serve and the possibilities and implications of change. Organised by Jacqueline Holt and Tom Roberts. With special guests Sonya Dyer and Nirmal Puwar.
2 November 2008 12 - 5pm
LUX 28
28 Shacklewell Lane
London E8 2EZ
Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) was a sociologist whose research included studies of the art world, the literary sphere and academia in France. Sociology is a Martial Art (Pierre Carles, France 2002 146 mins) follows Bourdieu over a period of 3 years as he lectures, attends political rallies, travels, meets with his students, staff, and his research team. During the course of the film some of his difficult ideas and concepts are revealed clearly through the discussions and interactions he has with other people.
His work has been influential on current critical contemporary art, partly because it looks at the relationship between art and market forces, but it also contains a far more uncomfortable class critique of art and intellectual activity, that has largely been ignored:
“Art and cultural consumption are predisposed, consciously and deliberately or not, to fulfill a social function of legitimating social differences.”
Pierre Bourdieu, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (1979)
When asked for a practical suggestion for how to make up for inequalities in what he called cultural capital, Bourdieu suggested that schools should incorporate teaching on the often hidden social rules and niceties of art and culture - things that are normally passed down to better-off children at home - to help disadvantaged kids get the measure of their peers, and feel more confident in getting involved in cultural activity. More recently, the UK government suggested all schools provide 5 hours of culture per week to make up for a lack of arts education in schools.
We will begin the afternoon with a screening of Sociology is a Martial Art (2002), a documentary by Pierre Carles which follows Bourdieu over a period of 3 years as he lectures, attends political rallies, travels, meets with his students, staff, and his research team.
During the course of the film some of his difficult ideas and concepts are revealed clearly through the discussions and interactions he has with other people. This film seemed to clarify for us some useful thinking on cultural inequalities. We are interested in starting an honest discussion about why the art world is so much the terrain of the middle class, why this is seen as natural, and how the situation might be changed in favour of much broader art & intellectual participation beyond instrumentalist ideas about social exclusion.
For us Bourdieu’s work is a starting point, as to be honest it seems to lend some legitimacy to concerns about class which we feel uncomfortable about raising in the social milieu we work in, and which are often brushed aside or dismissed.
Alongside showing the film, we would like to have a casual discussion workshop on the subjects raised in the film. While we will be talking about class in the art world, we would also like to talk about how artistic activity is affected by everyday social structures & experiences - of education, employment, domestic life etc.
There will be a screening of Sociology is a Martial Art (Pierre Carles, France 2002 146 mins) followed by a group seminar with special guests Sonya Dyer - artist and author of the ‘Boxed In’ report and Nirmal Puwar - senior lecturer in sociology at Goldsmiths College.
‘Free at the point of interest’ is organised by Tom Roberts and Jackie Holt. If you would like to participate please email tom at lux.org.uk or jackie at lux.org.uk