The notion of field in Kurt Lewin and Pierre Bourdieu: a comparative analysis

Abstract

The notion of field played a central role in the scientific projects of Kurt Lewin and Pierre Bourdieu. In this paper we carry out a comparative analysis of their theoretical and methodological use of this concept in their prolific output in the fields of psychology and sociology, respectively. For this purpose we focused on five crucial issues that both researchers explored in the process of developing their respective field theories: the break with partial objectifications, the construction of the object, the internal dynamics of fields, the delimitation of their boundaries, and the mathematical representation of psychological and sociological facts. We conclude with a summary in which we highlight some important coincidences and differences in the respective field theories of Kurt Lewin and Pierre Bourdieu. Both assigned it similar epistemological functions, but in Lewin we can find more mimicry with regard to the idea of field from physics and its mathematical formulation possibilities, whereas Bourdieu?s notion of field is inseparable from those of habitus and capital, which facilitates a more integrated analysis of micro and macro-social phenomena, a more sophisticated appraisal of its temporal dimensions, and more precise criteria for establishing the boundaries of a field.