The Literary Field and Political Crisis. The Mobilization of French Writers in May 1968 and the Temporalization Logics of the Field

• Published in: Berliner journal für Soziologie 2004-01, Vol.14 (2), p.173-187
• Main Author: Gobille, Boris
• Format: Article
• Language: ger
• Subjects: France; Literature; Political Change; Social Change
• ISSN: 0863-1808
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03204703

Even though Bourdieu's field theory is often presented as a theory of social reproduction, it certainly offers valuable means for the understanding of social change as well. However, in the case of a relatively autonomous field, such as the French literary field since the second half of the 19th century, the dynamics of the field would seem predominantly the product of internal struggle & thus remain rather limited. Analyzing the events of May 1968 in France, this article aims to show how the theory of political crises contributes to an understanding of the modes of temporalization of the literary field. The intention is to capture in theoretical terms how solidly established hierarchies of legitimacy & position within the literary field may change radically due to political events, with either drastic or just temporary effects. This is not meant to imply that the literary field is simply set into motion by external factors. Rather, the key for the sudden reconfigurations, de-objectifications & re-problematizations of the main themes & divisions that structure the literary field is an encounter between the field & a political crisis. 35 References. Adapted from the source document.