This thesis examines the cogency of Bourdieusian political theory and social science on phenomenological, empirical and normative grounds. It investigates whether Bourdieu's philosophy of science leads logically to the political content of Bourdieusian theory, and concludes that the originary determinism which characterises Bourdieu's work is a normative commitment. Rather than characterising that which is bracketed out of Bourdieu's neo-Marxist phenomenology - that is, the level of determination accessible neither to the consciousness of the social agent nor the social scientist - as inherently coercive, the thesis argues that the Bourdieusian modeal can be defended on deontological grounds. Specifically, this entails a deontological acceptance of the cultural value of autonomy and accountability. The tension between these two in turn raises the problem of acceptable levels of exclusion and decontestation, and the thesis concludes that a qualified elitism is defensible and compatible with Boudieusian principles. The thesis incorporates a case study which serves two functions. First, it puts into empirical practice the principles of Bourdieusian philosophy of social science to ascertain what implications and normative commitments are built into Bourdieusian methodology. In this regard it concludes that while it is possible to produce constructive analysis of systematically misrecognised economies, it becomes necessary to delineate the point beyond which positing further levels of coercive determination is counter-productive - and this can only be done according to deontological criteria. Second, it assesses the merit of Bourdieusian sociologies relative to existing accounts of the journalistic field. It concludes that while Bourdieu is excessively dismissive of individual awareness of the conditions of their field, Bourdieusian field analysis produces significant insights into the processes of naturalisation, self-identification, esotericisation and disinterestedness.

Class-making from a Bourdieusian perspective is an ongoing process based on cultural consumption connected with a specific class. Despite significant research on cultural consumption, little attention has been paid to the internal processes that can influence class-making. Previous research showed that the emerging cultural middle class is more prone than other classes to expect others to “look down on” their media practices. Based on various media and sociological theories, this thesis explored the relationships between the emerging cultural middle class, their media consumption and internal processes of stigma. Consequently, twenty qualitative in-depth interviews with the emerging cultural middle class were conducted that explored three research questions: how does the emerging cultural middle class describe their media practices, how they think about their media practices and what they believe others think of their practices and what are the imagined social origins of the stigmatization of their media practices. Results showed that the sample was digital cultural omnivores – consuming a range of media practices. Simultaneously, they were characterized by a self-reflexivity and self-criticism, implementing the self-stigma in the form of negative beliefs and thoughts about their media practices. The anticipated stigma was connected with practices that were “unproductive” (e.g. wasting time on social media), practices that the sample was not doing (e.g. not consuming the news) and taste-related practices (e.g. listening to jazz). Furthermore, three social origins of anticipated stigma were identified – based on generational distinctions, upper positions in the social space and other lifestyles. Summarizing, this study not only explored the media consumption of the emerging cultural middle class but also the presence of internal processes that influence cultural consumption and thus the process of class-making. By being anxious and self-reflexive regarding their media practices, they “maintained rank” and adapted to the logic of the “cultural” fields they aspired to enter.

The idea of knowledge economy initiated by the World Bank, the increasing importance of English proficiency in the global labour market, and the expansion of Chinese higher education, all leads to the phenomenon of Chinese student migration to western countries for getting advantageous educational experiences and credentials. Through a qualitative, interview-based method and Bourdieusian sociological perspective focusing on species of capital (cultural, economic, social and symbolic capital), habitus and mode of reproduction, this study focuses on the analysis of the relation between social background of Chinese students and their adoption of a western education system and perception of future career through the trajectories of ten Chinese students at Uppsala University, one of the most renowned universities in Sweden. The study examines the role of various assets in the family of origin, as well as the importance of the students’ long journey in the Chinese education system. The findings indicate that the students came from a fairly well off Chinese middle class that had established itself in the parent generation through an upward mobility. Both inherited and acquired assets through family origin and the educational trajectory were important factors that affected the Chinese students’ decision of studying abroad. Among the three species of assets originated from the family, the economic asset played a particularly significant role in the Chinese students’ educational trajectory, irrespective of the composition of families’ capital resources. Family economic assets became increasingly crucial while students moved up to higher educational levels. It also investigates the students’ encounter with the “Western” world represented by an academic and international student environment. While most of the students said they appreciated what Uppsala University had offered in terms of academic life and cultural experiences, they somewhat contradictory kept a distance to both the new forms of academic culture they met and students from other countries. The habitus valued in their previous educational trajectory in China did not fit the criteria for academic performance in the western higher educational institution. It was instead partly contested. With regard to the future, the interviewed students expressed concerns as to the value of their experience and diploma on the Chinese academic and job markets due to the absence from Chinese contact and the culture rooted in social connection. A hypothesis emerging from the interview data is that the family-based social reproduction strategy expressed in the strong family investments in education leading up to the studies abroad potentially has as effect that the offspring, the students, become less dependent on this family-based reproduction. Instead, they regarded themselves as being entitled, by merit, to decide on their own future.