Editing Pierre Bourdieu (section)

===As a public intellectual===
During the 1990s, Bourdieu became more and more involved in political debate, becoming one of the most important public faces of intellectual life in France. While a fierce critic of [[neoliberalism]], Bourdieu was also critical of the "total intellectual" role played by [[Jean-Paul Sartre]], and he dismissed Sartre's attempts to intervene in French politics as "irresponsible" and "opportunistic."<ref name="Swartz2003">Swartz, D. 2003. "Special Issue on the Sociology of Symbolic power: A Special Issue in Memory of Pierre Bourdieu." ''[[Theory & Society]]'' 32 (5/6).</ref> Bourdieu saw [[sociology]] not as a form of "intellectual entertainment" but as a serious discipline of a scientific nature. {{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} There is an apparent contradiction between Bourdieu's earlier writings against using sociology for [[political activism]] and his later launch into the role of a public intellectual, with some highly "visible political statements."<ref name="Swartz2003" /> Although much of his early work stressed the importance of treating sociology as a strict scientific discipline,{{dubious|reason=incorrect translation|date=December 2018}}—"{{Langx|fr|La sociologie est un sport de combat|label=none}}''"'' ({{Translation|"[[Sociology is a Martial Art]]"}})—his later career saw him enter the less academic world of political debate in France, raising the issue of whether the sociologist has political responsibilities extending to the public domain.

Although Bourdieu earlier faulted public intellectuals such as Sartre, he had strong political views which influenced his sociology from the beginning. By the time of his later work, his main concern had become the effect of globalisation and those who benefited least from it. His politics then became more overt and his role as public intellectual was born, from an "urgency to speak out against neoliberal discourse that had become so dominant within political debate."<ref name="Swartz2003" />

Bourdieu developed a project to investigate the effects—particularly the harm—of neoliberal reforms in France. The most significant fruit of this project was the 1993 study "The Weight of the World", although his views are perhaps more candidly expressed in his articles.<ref>collected for example in Bourdieu 'Political Interventions,' Verso 2008 or Bourdieu 'Sociology as a Martial Art,' The New Press 2010.</ref> "The Weight of the World" represented a heavyweight scientific challenge to the dominant trends in French politics. Since it was the work of a team of sociologists, it also shows Bourdieu's collaborative character, indicating that he was still in 1993 reluctant to accept being singled out with the category of public intellectual.<ref group="lower-roman">Bourdieu deplored the term 'role'. See: Bourdieu, Pierre. 1992. "Thinking About Limits.' ''[[Theory, Culture & Society]]'' 9(1):41-3. [[SAGE Publishing|SAGE]].</ref>

Nevertheless, Bourdieu's activities as a critical sociologist prepared him for the public stage, fulfilling his "constructionist view of social life" as it relied upon the idea of social actors making change through collective struggles. His relationship with the media was improved through his very public action of organizing strikes and rallies that raised huge media interest in him and his many books became more popular through this new notoriety. One of the main differences between the critical sociologist and public intellectual is the ability to have a relationship with popular media resources outside the academic realm.<ref name="Fuller2005">Fuller, S., ''The Intellectual'', Ikon Books, Cambridge, 2005.</ref> It is notable that, in his later writings, Bourdieu sounded cautionary notes about such individuals, describing them as "like the Trojan Horse"<ref>Bourdieu, Pierre. 1998. ''On Television and Journalism.'' London: [[Pluto Press|Pluto]]. p. 59.</ref> for the unwanted elements they may bring to the academic world. Again Bourdieu seems wary of accepting the description 'public intellectual', worrying that it might be difficult to reconcile with science and scholarship. Research is needed on what conditions transform particular intellectuals into public intellectuals.<ref name="Swartz2003" />
<!--References (keeping these as a record in case my ref editing formatting fails)
Burawoy, M., American Sociological Association Presidential Address: For Public Sociology, ''The British Journal of Sociology'' Volume 56, Issue 2, 2005.
Fuller, S., ''The Intellectual'', Ikon Books, Cambridge, 2005.
Holmwood, J., Sociology as Public Discourse and Professional Practice: A Critique of Michael Burawoy, ''Sociological Theory,'' Volume 25, Issue 1, 2007.
Swartz, D., Special Issue on the Sociology of Symbolic power: A Special Issue in Memory of Pierre Bourdieu, ''Theory and Society,'' Volume 32, Issue 5/6, 2003.-->